Miles’ dad was chased out of stores when he was younger. And now he is protecting those same people so much so that he eventually becomes police captain. From black kid feared to black cop respected. He still protects those that hated him. It is so sad that that is ultimately what is supposed to get him killed.

The majority of Miles’ story is about feeling like he doesn’t fit in and there’s a script already written for him that he doesn’t want to follow. His mum tells him he should be able to go anywhere do anything even if others don’t want him there which he knows. His teacher tells him to lean into a story of struggle that black boys are expected to have. Then to have Miguel pin him down and tell him he’s an anomaly, someone that never was supposed to be, supposed to win. And on top of that he has this confirmed by meeting his alternate self who has fallen through the cracks and is making bad choices (or the only choices he has). All these expectations and assumptions falling on his shoulders are what black kids really feel every day.

While this film doesn’t explicitly talk about race I think many black viewers can recognise parts of miles story, the references, the double meaning in the speeches etc. Anyways I just really wanted to share my thoughts on this amazing film.