This opening lesson introduces students to the cultural, historical, and artistic foundations of Sinners by Ryan Coogler through the lens of Black horror and storytelling traditions. Designed to activate prior knowledge and establish critical context, the session centers horror not as mere entertainment, but as a powerful cultural mirror—one shaped by histories of survival, faith, and resistance.

Drawing from Black migration narratives, oral traditions, and communal memory, this lesson positions horror as a form of testimony and truth-telling, especially for communities historically silenced or marginalized. Students will begin to explore how fear, myth, and metaphor work as narrative tools, and how Black creators use the genre to reclaim agency, grieve collectively, and imagine liberation.

Through interactive discussions, multimodal engagement, and reflective writing, this session lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of Sinners—not just as a film, but as a cultural text rooted in Black radical traditions.