Black history month raises awareness of their past and current struggles in society by celebrating the countless important people, events, and ideas that shape the African American identity. One example is Barry Jenkin’s 2016 film Moonlight, where Chiron’s coming-of-age story challenges the perspective of African American life and culture. As the audience witnesses Chiron mature through life defining moments, these various lenses tackle African American stereotypes of vulnerability, sexuality, and relationships.

With an absent father and a mother who is a drug addict and prostitute, Juan becomes the father figure Chiron never had. When Juan teaches Chiron how to swim it is evident that Chiron is hesitant; the camera lingers with him as he stands on the beach, looking longingly into the ocean. Once in the water, something changes inside of Chiron. By cradling him in the water, Juan illustrates that it’s acceptable to be vulnerable. Letting people into his life to form meaningful relationships allows Chiron to experience love, and he must learn to accept and give love as well. As Juan teaches Chiron swimming techniques and eventually lets him try on his own, he also learns to take care of himself. Juan wisly tells Chiron that in every individual’s life, there is a stage where “…you gotta decide for yourself who you’re going to be – can’t let nobody make that decision for you.” Chiron must face his problems because if he runs away, they will always come back. Similarly, enslaved African Americans weren’t given the opportunity to be vulnerable or take charge of their life. They were stifled by society treating them as property, not people. Jenkin uses Chiron’s narrative to express prevalent problems for African Americans in both past and present.

When it is inferred that Juan has died, Chiron’s lack of guidance yet again forces him to navigate the world on his own. Therefore, the problems he had as a child carries on to when he is an adolescent: he is bullied, and does not open himself to anyone. As a gay, African American teenager, Chiron doesn’t know how to reconcile his sexuality with society. For example, Terrel, a high school bully, mocks Chiron for his homosexual characteristics and convinces Kevin to beat up Chiron. Kevin regrettably agrees since he does not want to risk ruining his public image; if he does not conform to what society wants him to do, he would lose his masculinity. By having Kevin represent society, his punches are a physical representation of society rejecting Chiron. Even though Chiron tries to suppress his sexuality he’s forced to choose between accepting and expressing his identity, or finding community. Chiron tries to balance the two but cannot truly be himself either way, so he chooses to go through life alone. This creates a disconnect between him and society, a bridge that cannot be gapped since the two are fundamentally incompatible. When slavery was abolished, African Americans faced a similar problem in that they did not know how to integrate into society. They didn’t have the skills or knowledge to hold artisanal jobs, so they usually resorted to manual labor. Whether because of sexual orientation or skills, African Americans continually battle to find their place in society.

As an adult, Chiron has conformed to the stereotypical social image of an African American male; his occupation as a drug dealer and extremely muscular build starkly contrast his past two life stages. However, Jenkins illustrates that Chiron is the same broken individual by repeating many scenes that reflect previous scenes. At the diner, Kevin offers him a meal just like how Juan bought Chiron food at the beginning of the film. Food plays a significant role because when eating with someone creates an organic medium for vulnerability and honesty; Chiron is willing to open up with Juan and Kevin. Secondly, when Chiron drives Kevin home, this mirrors when Kevin drove Chiron home. When they have an opportunity to help the other, they do it fully and wholeheartedly. Lastly, Kevin cradles Chiron in his arms when Chiron admits that no other man has touched him, just as they were huddled together years ago on the beach. Chiron’s most intimate experiences have been with Kevin, where they’ve built a relationship like no other in the film. This scene tackles multiple stereotypes, such as that men cannot have meaningful relationships or that men cannot show weakness. However, Moonlight underscores the idea that showing emotions are acceptable and necessary, no matter how much an individual tries to hide it.

Moonlight accentuates the difficulties and hardships that every African American faces while revealing that there are various shades of African American identities, not just the stereotypical characteristics in films and the news. But what makes this film groundbreaking is that it reached a large audience and received countless awards, which propelled African American actors, directors, designers, and more into prominent and influential positions in the entertainment industry. This will allow them to continue changing and shaping how society understands the African American identity and narrative.