As historically significant as it is timely, The Invaders chronicles the 1967 gathering of a group in Memphis who were determined to improve the lives of black people in the city. They were tired of the injustice being brought upon them by the local government (particularly mayor Henry Loeb) and the constant police profiling, and worked to protest this treatment as non-violently as possible. The movie is an effective mixture of archival footage (of which there is apparently over 30 hours available!) and current interviews with surviving members of The Invaders, their name taken from a 1950s science fiction television show. There's genuine poignancy in hearing them recollect how they went from accepting the rules society had set for them to gradually finding a way to "fight" back. Equally as interesting is seeing the group's involvement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the all too brief part he played in aiding them before he was assassinated.
It's impossible to watch The Invaders and not be reminded of the hardships African Americans continue to face when it comes to police treatment and poverty. We hear horrifying stories of black men calling the police due to being mistreated by a white man, only to be ignored once the police arrive. Just as upsetting are the accounts shared about the pathetic wages and lack of insurance for sanitation workers, which led to marches involving the iconic "I Am A Man" signs. Watching the protests in the movie, particularly one involving over 40,000 people, we are immediately drawn back to the recent peaceful Black Lives Matter protest on the bridge in Memphis.
The Invaders proves to be a fascinating piece of Memphis history, one that is certain to resonate nationally. The group's interests were in not only making life better for African Americans, but for all poor people who were being oppressed by the system. It's a riveting story, and once its 76 minutes run time was complete, I couldn't help but feel there is still so much more to tell. How long did they function as a group and what eventually sent them their separate ways? Given the amount of footage available, I would love to see The Invaders as at the very least a miniseries, so we can continue to learn more about this group and how their cause moved forward.
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