bmbrdg
bmbrdg
Aug 24, 2017 · 3 min read

Dear Justin,

I don’t know you, I don’t know anything about you, but I needed to at least try to communicate to you how much DWP the series affected me, how much it moved me, and how profoundly grateful I am that you made it.

Basically, I’m the white girlfriend of a black dude, and honestly I’ve never come across a piece of media that got so close, in excruciatingly accurate detail, to the … issues that go with that. It’s hard to even put into words. The Reggie storyline affected me so much because of course I couldn’t help but put my partner in his place. It was totally and utterly heartbreaking. I watched the 5th episode and I was on our kitchen floor just sobbing and sobbing.

So I had to take the time out to write this to you, and tell you: thank you, thank you, and thank you again f0r all that you’ve been through to get this series made. My partner and I are filmmakers ourselves, and from that perspective I can imagine how difficult it is to create a series like this, to write about such difficult issues with such nuance and complexity, to get it made in the way you wanted it to be, it funded and distributed — even to have gone through all the years of not making films in order to get to the point where you can actually make one — it must be many, many years in the making. And then, reading your article about why you named the series as you did, I’m honestly blown away by your ability to stay calm and compassionate through it all. And that compassion really shines through in the series as well — the empathy with which the characters are written and the narrative is constructed — it’s just masterful.

I’m planning to suggest it to my parents, who are not very aware of black culture, because I think it will enable them to be more aware of the issues without feeling threatened or afraid of having to be politically correct. And it also makes me grateful that our future kids might one day see this, and see so many diverse, unique, interesting, intelligent and non-stereotypical black characters represented — it makes me feel slightly less nervous about bringing them into this unequal world.

This is a difficult virtual letter for me to write because I have so much emotion bubbling in me that is very tricky to put into words. I have never felt this way about a piece of art so profoundly that I have felt compelled to reach out to it’s creator in such a detailed way. I’m honestly on the verge of tears right now!! It feels very odd to be writing such a heartfelt letter to someone I don’t know and who may never read this (and that’s public on medium as well)!

But anyway, if you do read this, I just thank you from the bottom of my heart. Obviously I don’t know you at all, but it seems from watching this series and reading your article, that you are a really wonderful soul — the imprint you are making on the world in any case has touched me in an incredibly positive way. And I’m not gonna be able to put this into words very well without it sounding ridiculously corny, but — the world is just lucky to have you in it. I hope you take care of yourself so that you can keep making art to benefit the world, because it needs that art so badly right now!

PS. Kind of awkward to bring this up haha, because, yeah, we don’t know each other, but I have also been through many struggles with depression, anxiety etc. sounds kind of similar to what you mentioned in your article. It sucks so bad!! But I feel hopefully it makes us kind of stronger and more humble people who have more empathy, because we understand that there is always more going on in someone’s head than meets the eye.

(My bf also really loved the series!)

Also by the way I LOVE Lionel who is just the sweetest most amazing character!!

Take care, keep going!

Lilly

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