Spotlight: An Introduction
#TheOscarsSoWhite. #TheEntertainmentBusinessSoWhite… blah, blah, blah.
All these hashtags with no resolutions to the main problem… Hollywood’s strenuous relationship with Black creatives (actors, filmmakers, and show runners).
The entertainment business has a special place in my heart. It’s the industry that I want to work in for the rest of my life, but I also recognize that my love for the industry cannot come without realizing that this industry didn’t always love my people and it continues to love us as the step child that they’ve just come to accept to be worthy of love… That was a little dark, but hey, I’m being honest. ]
All these hashtags with no resolutions to the main problem…
We, as a society, have become accustomed to calling for change without knowing root of the issues. I believe this is the case for the initiative to diversify Hollywood. I am happy that people are now realizing that the narratives that we praised for years were problematic.
Lemme give ya a lil’ insider. Hollywood has profited from telling narratives that have characterized Black people as not humane and various other labels that demean them. Sis, Gone With the Wind is not just about the lead character twirling in the wind, but take a deeper look at the only Black woman character and her role in the story. She was not a lead, but instead the help. This theme is a skeleton that continuously lives in the (not so dark) shadows of the closet.
So, you may be wondering why I care so much?
Well, I am definitely gonna tell you.
First, I am a Black woman that wants to create television shows and movies that tell refreshing narratives about black people. I want to be one of the people at the front of the change in the entertainment industry. However, I do not want my blog to sound like a militant blog that only focuses on the negative things that happen in the industry. I, also, want to highlight the accomplishments of Black actors, filmmakers, and show runners. At times, these important strides of success are ignored by the masses.
Secondly, I am a creator. Growing up, I did not have much representation on television. Although I am 21 years old (I’ll be 22 next month), I feel that I have watched television evolve in its content and who is seen acting out the material. It is a great feeling to know that I can turn on the television and see someone like Viola Davis playing an extremely successful lawyer that cleans up (and sometimes causes) legal messes for her clients. Or I could go to the movies and see a film about the Black women behind the NASA space launch. Watching television and films is an experience that unlike any other. Are there any other devices besides Virtual Reality that can give us, the audience, a way to experience the life of someone else? The answer is probably no (I am not one hundred percent sure). The main point to take away is that movies and television shows allow us to see the world through the lenses of people who may or may not be different than us. By keeping this in mind, we have to be careful to not tell harmful narratives that shape the perceptions of others about people that are different from them.
So, I hope you’re ready for the a journey because it’s definitely gonna be a long one. Are you ready, kids?
