4th of July felt a little different this year.
While fireworks lit up the sky for a country that truly does not believe in the freedom for ALL, I was at home watching Sinners.
It’s been 5 days since, and I am still mesmerized by it (art will do that to you). It feels radical to sit with this film and keep unpacking it. Especially given the times in Trump’s white America. There’s still so much I haven’t fully processed about Sinners, but what I do know is that it moved something in me emotionally and spiritually.
There’s no question that this film speaks deeply on the Black history, roots, legacy, music, and spirit. And I hold that truth with such reverence. But what struck me the most, and continues to echo through my bones, is the spiritual undertone running through every scene.
On the surface, it’s a vampire story. But underneath, it’s a deeply spiritual allegory. One that speaks on power, roots, temptation, and spiritual sovereignty.
On Power
In the film, you can feel the weight of how power moves. Who has it. Who’s lost it. Who’s fighting to get it back. Like today, power is the true currency. But what’s so beautiful is that Sinners shows us that true power doesn’t come from money, violence, or dominance.
Power comes from remembering who you are. It comes from choosing yourself. From prayer. From memory. From roots. From staying rooted in your truth.
You see this most clearly in Sammieee.
A young Black musician loosely based on the blues legend Robert Johnson, Sammie feels stuck between worlds. He’s navigating racism. He’s navigating religion. He’s got a father who preaches a gospel that doesn’t make room for the fullness of who he is. And all Sammie wants is to play his music, feel something real, and be free.
For him, music isn’t just a gift. It’s the thread that ties him to his roots and carries him through time. There’s a moment when he says music lets him move through the past, present, and future, making him feel connected and whole.
Music is how Sammie comes home to himself. That’s where his power lives.
And when the fineee Remmick tries to feed off his light, it’s not violence that saves Sammie. It’s not ego. It’s not dominance. First, it’s prayer ( his breath and connection to something sacred) And then it’s his guitar. His music. That’s what breaks the curse. That’s what protects his soul.
That’s power. And what moved me the most.
Because in this world, especially now, we’re constantly being told that we’re powerless. That we should stay quiet. That we should assimilate. But Sinners reminded me that power is found in our truth. Because when you remember who you are, where you come from, and what you carry, nothing can power over you.
On Temptation
There’s a rule in the film that vampires can’t enter unless you welcome them in.
That is so symbolic. It felt so much bigger than a plot device. It felt spiritual. Because in this world, there is so much negative energy, so much darkness, that is just waiting for an opening. Waiting for you to say yes. Not because you’re weak. But because you’re human. And when you’ve been through enough, when the world keeps pulling at your spirit, sometimes you forget to protect the door.
Letting them in, to me, was never just about the vampires. It was about the way we sometimes welcome things that slowly eat at us. People who drain us. Trauma and cycles that break us down. Addictions that numb us until we’re not even sure what we’re running from anymore. Shame that creeps in and convinces us we’re not worthy
We are the gatekeepers to our spirit. That our yes is powerful. That we get to choose who and what has access to us. And when we’re rooted in that kind of clarity, when we’re grounded and protective of our light, so much changes.
Because darkness doesn’t have power on its own. It needs permission. And when you choose to stay close to who you are, to what is good, to what is true, that’s a kind of healing that no one can take from you.
On Spiritual Sovereignty
When I think about spiritual sovereignty, especially in the context of Sinners, it feels like the quiet truth at the heart of it all. It’s deeper than just reclaiming our power; it’s about how protecting that power is the way we ultimately save our souls.
Every character in the film seems to be fighting an internal disturbance, a conflict within their own spirit. Sammie struggles with religion and expectations. Other characters wrestle with their own darkness and humanity. And I see that in the world today. So many of us are disconnected from our environment, our roots, and ourselves.
I think this inner disconnect is what festers hate. It’s what breeds racism, suffering, and trauma. It’s what makes people forget their humanity. It’s what keeps us all from seeing clearly. We lose sight of what real power is, what it means to truly live with truth and heart. And the moment we lose sight of that, everything goes dark. Maybe spiritual sovereignty means coming back to ourselves fully. Reconnecting with our self, our humanity, our roots, our power, and our spirits.
Because in a world that feels so chaotic and uncertain, disconnected and lost, true art like the movie Sinners inspire us to seek truth. It reminds us of who we are, what we carry, and how deeply we all just want to be free.
Sentiments of a Writer 