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Blood ties stronger

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By Farayi Mungoshi

IN 1971, the film, Shaft featuring Richard Roundtree burst onto the big screen. 

It immediately became a hit, invoking a number of sequels to follow suit over the years; Shaft’s big score followed in 1972 and Shaft in Africa in 1973; all featuring Richard Roundtree.

After Shaft in Africa (1973), things sizzled down and for the next 27 years, Shaft was silent. 

In the year 2000, Shaft returned, this time with a new action man; Samuel L. Jackson, in place of the much older and aged Roundtree.

Fast forward another 19 years to 2019; Shaft returns to the big screen again, still starring Roundtree and Samuel L. Jackson but there is a surprise this time, John Shaft the II (Samuel L Jackson) has a son, Jessie Usher (JJ or John Junior Shaft). 

And guess what? JJ is also all about catching bad guys summing up three generations of the Shafts fighting bad guys on the streets of America and making the black communities, a safe haven for black folk to live in.

JJ, unlike his father, who was first in the police force before starting a private investigation practice, is in the FBI; a level higher if you may. 

However, unlike his father’s menacing, tough guy stature and old school rough policing, JJ is a cyber security expert. 

He doesn’t believe violence is the answer to solving cases whereas both his grandfather and father believe otherwise.

When JJ’s best friend suddenly dies from a drug overdose, JJ smells a rat and does not believe his friend killed himself, but to uncover the truth he needs his father, Samuel L. Jackson to help him investigate what happened and help him bring the killer to justice.

The only problem is that John Shaft the II was never there as a father for JJ. 

JJ grew up with his mother and as such he appears to be the soft, push-over type; and his geeky dressing of tie and jacket complete with sneakers makes him appear more white than black, which infuriates John Shaft II. 

He’d expected his son to turn out to be the macho kind of guy like himself or grandfather Shaft. 

Of course he blamed JJ’s mother for making JJ a sissy.

John Shaft II is clearly unattached to his son when the film begins, only wanting to be involved in assisting the boy find his friend’s killer after learning that the person responsible for the murder could also be the very same criminal and drug lord that had evaded him for over 20 years; the very same man responsible for him breaking up with JJ’s mother.

John Shaft the II has no parenting skills. 

In fact, he is just like his father John Shaft. 

It seems whenever the Shafts were offered opportunities to be parents; they always chose their jobs. 

This is something most young people are acquainted to nowadays, growing up without proper grooming from parents because they are always out working to make ends meet in a world that only respects money and has no more respect left for humanity.

The director of the action-comedy, Shaft, managed to make light a huge problem across America among the African-American communities and families; that of the absent father. 

The effects it has on children growing up without a father but unlike the stereotypical story of the father who is absent because he is locked up somewhere in an American prison, in Shaft; we have the father who is absent due to his line of work.

What I found intriguing is how the older Shafts, easily admitted being bad parents while on the other hand offering an opportunity to mend the rift which eventually happens when a case brings them together.

Family is important and Shaft the movie does well to remind us.

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