Toxic Pressure in Sag Harbor
Although being aware of the history of those who came before you and the sacrifices that they made for their descendants can be empowering and inspiring, being expected to live up to these legacies can feel overwhelming and even suffocating to the younger generation, especially when the expectation is forced upon them. Sag Harbor shows a great example of how these expectations can have a toxic effect on the descendants of self-made pioneers. Benji and Regi are surrounded by adults who expect them to always acknowledge their gratitude for their predecessors (i.e. Their settlers of Sag Harbor, their parents, and leaders of the Black Liberation movement). People tell them how privileged they are to be given what they have, which their parents had to work hard to earn as African Americans. Up to this point, it’s understandable why the adults are constantly reminding this lesson to Benji and Reggie: they want to encourage them to not take things for granted and work hard so that they can s