Urbanworld First Look: Issa Rae’s ‘Insecure’ Is a Love Letter to Black Women

Some weeks ago, I logged into Facebook and became enraptured by a status an old college friend had recently posted. It read, “I trust Black women more than any other group of people.” Initially, I thought nothing of it, since it also rang true for me, but as I scrolled through the comments under the post, it was clear that my brown skin girlfriend had hit a nerve.

In the media and in our own community, Black women are told who we are, how we should be and what we’re going to be. We’re the most educated group of people in this country and yet we’re told our education will greatly diminish our chances at a “fairytale” home life. (Whatever that means.) In one breath we’re told we don’t give Black men a chance, and in another, we are told we baby our Black sons. We’re too loud, or we don’t speak up enough. We’re too weak, or too feminist. Or my personal favorite, our standards are just too high. According to everyone else, we’re just too damn much, and we need to fix a laundry list of things in order to find love, happiness, and security. It’s a constant and exhausting stripping of our humanity. It seems natural then that we gravitate inward towards one another. (Despite what the media tries to say.) As my friend’s Facebook post so bluntly put it, the reason I’m still living (and thriving) in this precarious space we call life as a Black woman, is because of the other Black women I choose to surround myself with.

Issa Rae’s long awaited and highly anticipated HBO series “Insecure”, puts the narrative of Black women back in our hands, while paying homage to our fellow sisters.

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TIFF: ‘The Birth of a Nation’ Cast Talks Sexual Violence, Revolution and Resurrecting Nat Turner

When I was asked to attend the screening and press junket for Nate Parker’s “The Birth Of A Nation” at the Toronto International Film Festival, I was hesitant. A film which I had been so looking forward to seeing for the better part of a year, suddenly made my stomach turn. The thought of putting my ideas and opinions on the project and filmmaker out for the world to see was daunting. The details surrounding filmmaker and actor Nate Parker’s rape trial in 1999, as well as his callous remarks in the past months regarding that time, were and are unsettling.

After reading those first interviews Parker gave to Variety and Deadline, I was sure I could not support “The Birth Of A Nation”. Rape is a heinous crime, and his words then further instilled in me that he did not understand the horrifying damage that was inflicted on the now deceased victim. (Though Parker maintains his innocence and was acquitted, it’s clear that he was not given verbal consent.) I also felt that if I saw the film, I would be contributing to a society that continues to validate rape culture, victim blaming and misogyny. Then I was asked to attend TIFF.

Prior to attending, I read the interview Parker gave with EBONY’s Britni Danielle where he apologized for his self-centered comments and has vowed to continue to learn and educate himself. I also read his co-star Gabrielle Union’s (who herself is a rape survivor) LA Times op-ed on Parker and “Birth”.

In the end, I decided to attend the screening and press junket. As a woman, I feel like what the film has sparked outside of its actual narrative, are vital conversations about rape, consent, sexual violence and the way in which we handle and discuss all of these things. These are desperately important conversations. Men especially need to continue to educate themselves and ask hard questions about their own masculinity and about consent. Too often the burden has fallen on women to protect ourselves from male predators.  Moreover, as a Black woman, Nat Turner’s story is endlessly important to not only the Black American community but also to American citizens as a whole.

I do not know if Nate Parker should be forgiven, that is not for me to say; he most certainly should not be excused for his actions then nor his initial response now. And yet for me, Parker’s personal actions then and now do not negate the importance of this film. Whether you decide to see this film or not, is a decision only you can make, just as I had to make the choice for myself. However, just as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass and so many other of our Black leaders are important, Nat Turner’s voice should not and cannot be silenced.

Sexism, sexual violence, hyper-masculinity, misogyny, and racism all deserve platforms because they exist simultaneously and they often intersect. “The Birth Of A Nation’s” narrative, perhaps more than anything else in pop culture right now, proves that. At the very least, we MUST continue to talk about these very difficult topics. I will note that in the TIFF Press Junket, Parker was asked directly by a reporter from The New York Times, about why he has not apologized to the victim and her family, Parker declined to answer her question and instead focused the conversation back on the film itself. Journalists are supposed to ask difficult questions, and this was certainly one that I felt warranted a response. However, as the question had been addressed previously, it was unsurprising when Parker chose to ignore it. Furthermore, the manner in which the journalist blurted out the question could have contributed to why Parker chose not to respond. But however these questions are presented, I feel that it is imperative that these types of questions don’t get pushed aside. To do so would only continue to perpetuate the horrific rape culture that continues to thrive in society.

“The Birth Of A Nation” is a stunning cinematic work, not just about Nat Turner’s revolution but about the history of our nation, one that bleeds into who we are, today and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. At TIFF the film received a six-minute standing ovation once the credits rolled and the majority of the cast including, Aja Naomi King, Armie Hammer, Aunjanue Ellis, Colman Domingo, Gabrielle Union, Jackie Earle Haley, Penelope Ann Miller and Nate Parker were on hand to discuss the making of the film as well as the controversy surrounding it. This is what they had to say.

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Talking @thebirthofanation with the @ajanaomi_king who deserves EVERY AWARD for her stunning portrayal of Cherry #tiff2016 #chocolategirlinterviews #chocolategirlreviews

A photo posted by Chocolate Girl In The City (@midnightrami) on Sep 11, 2016 at 10:29am PDT

HISTORY Channel’s ‘Roots’ Is a Lush & Exemplary Re-Imagining of the Iconic Saga

Forty-years ago Alex Haley’s “Roots” was presented on the small screen and captivated a nation. The immensely popular and moving story garnered 80 million viewers a night when it first aired in January of 1977. That year it was nominated for thirty-five Emmys. Therefore, when I first heard that “Roots” was being rebooted, I rolled my eyes. We are at a point when we are constantly being beaten down by the same stories playing in an endless loop over and over again. And yet, from the moment the thriving beauty of Juffure, Gambia was revealed in 2016’s “Roots”, I knew this would be something worthwhile.

HISTORY Channel’s “Roots” reboot is something we need right now. In the midst of the tumultuous political climate in this nation, and of the Black Lives Matters movement, it’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come. Paying homage to the original series while embracing this gorgeously lush re-imagining, invites an entirely new generation to experience the phenomenal family saga. I am not so naive to assume that 2016’s “Roots” will even begin to touch the impact of the original series, however, this contemporary project is much more volatile and assertive than the 1977 saga could have ever hoped to be.

Last month at the Tribeca Film Festival, I had the opportunity to screen the first episode of the “Roots” reboot. “Roots” is a story of family, identity and resilience English actor Malachi Kirby gives an awe-inspiring breathtaking performance as the strong-willed Mandinka warrior Kunta Kinte, who is cruelly ripped from his picturesque Gambian village and sold into slavery. So different from LeVar Burton’s gripping performance, Kirby’s Kunta is unparalleled on his own. What sets this project apart from the original series, is the time we spend in Gambia, from Kunta’s coming-of–age ceremony, to his flirtations with a village girl, Kirby leaves you captivated from the first moment he appears on screen. The perspectives of white characters are also wholly erased here.

As I’ve stated previously, as I did upon reviewing WGN America’s “Underground”, I don’t understand the push-back against slave narratives. Should there be a plethora of other stories surrounding all facets of Black life? Of course. However, slave stories will always remain impactful, relevant and needed. After all, if we do not know our history and engage with it no matter how painful it might be, we are doomed as a nation to repeat it. Make no mistake; “Roots” is a lot to take in, in the same way that “12 Years Of Slave” left me with a lingering agony after viewing it. However, I can say that it is a worthy, lush and exemplary retelling of an American classic.

After screening the first two hours of “Roots”, executive producers Mark Wolper and Will Packer as well as cast members Malachi Kirby (Kunta Kinte), Regé-Jean Page (Chicken George), Erica Tazel (Matilda) and costume designer Ruth Carter chatted with the Tribeca Film Festival audience about the project. Here is what they said about re-imagining “Roots”.

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@shadowandact Great article – thank you so much for sharing with us! #ROOTS

— Roots on HISTORY (@RootsSeries) May 29, 2016

Image: History Channel