A Look Inside the Series
Queen Sugar airs on OWN network, and follows the lives of the Bordelon family situated in Louisiana. Centering the lives of three distant Bordelon siblings, Charley, Nova, and Ralph Angel, the plot unfolds as they are brought together to mourn the passing of their late father. From then, the series continues to depict the experiences of the family as they begin rebuilding a relationship with each other managing the land of their father’s sugar cane farm.
The series debuted on September 16, 2016 as a television adapted version of the novel written by Natalie Baszile. Season two ended in November of 2017 and the show has been renewed for a third season. Key players in the production of the show include creator, director and executive producer, Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey as executive producer as well as Natalie Baszile. Both DuVernay and Winfrey have demonstrated extensive commitments to creating, directing and producing shows that center the complex experiences of Black women. Winfrey’s network features series that predominantly target Black viewers while DuVernay’s portfolio consists of films, television series and documentaries that all highlight experiences of Black individuals. In addition to Queen Sugar, Duvernay has been lauded for her work as a director for films and documentaries such as Selma, 13th, and A Wrinkle in Time which is to be released in 2018. DuVernay has been very intentional with the direction of Queen Sugar as demonstrated by her executive decision to have all episodes in both seasons be directed by women only, most of whom are also women of color.
Duvernay’s Approach
“I have lots of things that have to do with race, but there are also some things that have to do with culture, with class, with gender identity, with how black folks deal with, handle and reconcile their association with other people of color.” (Ava DuVernay, Hollywood Reporter, 2017)
While other Black show runners such as Shonda Rhimes have adopted strategic ambiguity, DuVernay doesn’t fully embrace this approach as she instead chooses to tell stories that are unique to black experiences. As argued by Ralina Joseph (2016), strategic ambiguity avoids explicit expressions of blackness in order to embody post racial inclusivity and thus provide an “opportunity to repudiate racism” (p. 304). However, it is through explicit expressions and complex discussions of race that DuVernay explores the depth and multiplicity within Black experiences. Rather than represent race simply for the purpose of what Joseph (2016) refers to as “a seat at the table,” (p. 304) DuVernay confronts and attempts to unpack all the complexities that come along with Blackness including issues that examine intersectionality.
Though she hopes to tell stories that speak to all audiences, she doesn’t do so by avoiding expressions of Blackness but rather by complicating notions that race is the sole aspect of Black experiences. This intention is illustrated through two distinct yet equally important representations of Black Womanhood in the characters of Charley and Nova Bordelon. This blog will provide an in depth analysis of each character in order to show the multidimensionality of Black women.
