Whites Only: SURJ And The Caucasian Invasion Of Racial Justice Spaces

by DiDi Delgado, Black Lives Matter-Cambridge

White-led racial justice groups have displayed problematic behavior, lack of accountability, and outright anti-Blackness.

Last summer — after a 20 year hiatus — Hollywood released the long awaited sequel to the alien invasion blockbuster, Independence Day, entitled Independence Day: Resurgence. The original film was a massive success, thanks to groundbreaking special effects, a diverse ensemble cast, and (most importantly) a charismatic lead performance from the perpetually sexy Will Smith.

The sequel, however, was trash.

To be fair, I didn’t actually see Resurgence, but neither did anybody else in the U.S. As it turns out, most Americans decided back in ’96 that we had no interest in revisiting Independence Day unless the Fresh Prince was involved. The studios apparently missed the memo. When Smith turned down the role, they went ahead and made the sequel without him. It was a bad idea, and like most bad ideas, I blame white people. Specifically, I blame the room full of white writers, producers, directors, and executives who greenlit this doomed disappointment from the start. And this isn’t the first time a room full of…