Maybe it was because she was portrayed by acting dynamo and powerhouse Aunjanue Ellis.
Or maybe because as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, intellectual, servant, friend, etc., the story of Hippolyta Freeman in the HBO Lovecraft Country series just resonates with all women.
To get the full understanding of where this post is going, you will have to watch the “I Am” episode in the horror drama television series. Hippolyta is loyal and dedicated to a fault. She is a true “hidden figure” as she was never properly recognized for giving a comet the name “Hera’s Chariot” when she was child. The credit went to someone else because the astronomical society did not want a Black girl as the face of their competition. Hippolyta was also the impetus behind the success of her husband’s Safe Negro Travel Guide, but she humbly let her husband have the spotlight.
Hippolyta is seemingly content with being a background supporting player until her quest to find out the truth about her husband’s death leads her on a voyage where she ultimately finds out the truth about herself. That truth is one that alters her mindset, her mission and even her appearance.
There is nothing wrong with being a housewife. There is no shame in being a wife and a mother. It’s okay to be supportive of the dreams and goals of others. But what Hippolyta discovered is that all those years of lurking in the shadows and denying her own zeal did her loved ones a disservice. Although she was the driving force behind many of their successes, her untapped power is what would ultimately deliver and save them from destruction.
As we all anxiously await a second season of this unique series, it will be interesting to see what the past, future and present hold for our hero Hippolyta. In the meantime, let’s reflect on lessons learned from a few of her shining moments (SPOILER ALERTS).
1. Self-care is not about selfishness; it’s about peace and survival
When Hippolyta travels via the portal to what appears to be an alien spaceship in another world, she is repeatedly reminded that she is not in prison. If she wanted to leave and return back to her regular abode, she was welcome to do so at any time. But she was also empowered to explore other parts of her psyche that had been woefully neglected. She danced and engaged in serious “girl talk” with the infamous Josephine Baker. She discovered her inner strength by fighting alongside the female Amazon warriors in an ancient African kingdom called Dahomey. With her newfound sense of awareness, she was able to experience closure with her husband by being upfront and candid about her diminished role in their marriage. She learned to be more confident in who she was and what she wanted.
With all of the hustle and bustle that life brings, self-care often gets put on the back burner and our physical, emotional and mental health suffers for it. Don’t be afraid or too busy to set aside time for yourself. We don’t necessarily have to travel through a portal to an alien nation to find our peace like Hippolyta did, but we do have to do better about cultivating our personal interests and talents. Whether it’s at the spa, the gym, the mall or on the couch with a remote control in hand, take time to do things in life that bring you joy.
2. Get Life to Give Life
In the season finale, Hippolyta’s daughter Dee is understandably angry. She questions why her mother was not there for her when she needed her the most. Not only did Dee lose her best friend Bobo aka Emmitt Till, she is cursed by Captain Lancaster and tormented by demonic twins Topsy and Bopsy. As Dee lies in what appears to be her death bed, Hippolyta returns just in time to see her daughter healed. Although Dee’s arm is useless following the curse and the attack, the newly empowered Hippolyta has what it takes to impart invincible strength to her daughter.
Had she not had the “I Am” encounter, Hippolyta probably would have been of little help against all of the evil attacks that Dee had to endure alone. Perhaps this was a great illustration of how one of the most difficult tasks in motherhood is giving children the space to develop their own independence and strength. While Hippolyta’s absence was uncomfortably noted during Dee’s ordeal, it ended up being the saving grace needed to stop the show’s most atrocious villain -Christina Braithwaite – from causing any further damage.
When traveling by airplane, we are advised by the flight attendants to put our own oxygen masks on before we help anyone else with theirs. Similarly, Hippolyta had to fight for her own survival before she could help Dee with hers.
3. Be Fierce, Be Fabulous
Before her transformation, Hippolyta was far from frumpy. However, her modest hair and clothing choices apparently were more reflective of who she thought she had to be versus who she could be. After the “I Am” encounter, she changed. Her hair was more freely flowing and she even wore – gasp – slacks.
With the experience of serving as the literal motherboard for her cohorts’ time travel to Tulsa in 1921, she was wholly worthy of assuming the essence of the dynamic Orithyia Blue – all the way down to the trademark blue hair. This is the way that her daughter Dee had always seen her, but it took some majorly shocking events for Hippolyta to see this newfound persona for herself.
Blue hair and flashy apparel may not work for some of us, but what does work is the fierce confidence that emanates from within when we take time to acknowledge the shero (or hero) inside.
– Special submission to the Sojourners Digest by Toni W. Terrett
very good post