I was initially moved to this post by the many responses to Jada Pinkett Smith's position, and how easily many had missed the whole point of taking a position on this. Any commentary, any position, on the current state of product from Hollywood, and it's award shows, will always be a statement about race and representation in Hollywood, and the world. If the only Oscar worthy films in Hollywood are white films, the question to ask is why?
It's certainly not because white stories are the only stories with enough weight and girth. It's even absurd to think that. There are probably business considerations, I understand that. But there are also important social and political considerations that are being overlooked and ignored.
When I was a boy there were no high quality films about people of color. I remember how that reality affected the other kids in my neighborhood. The lives we lived just faded, without mention. The many, many, fabulous characters who looked like me, and the stories they lived throughout history, as they walked the earth, somehow disappeared without a single accolade or trace.
What happens to film watching, television watching, children under those conditions is that the fascinating, and interesting qualities of those African American people become, suspect, highly improbable qualities for them to have. Even if they manage to become interesting and fascinating, people that encounter them are surprised, both black and white. Personal expectations for African Americans are lowered because certain character portrayals of African Americans in big screen stories are non-existent.
Black children who go to the movies only get to fantasize about fascinating and interesting personality examples from the stories told about, and by, white people. These children ultimately glorify and covet those lives instead of their own. Anything they see and learn about themselves, and their possibilities, is a product of the narrow infotainment agenda of networks, and the local nightly news. Mostly stories that engender various levels of inner, and outer, hatred. How has that turned out so far?
The truth is all the Oscar worthy stories about African Americans, Latinos, and Asians should be up for grabs, if we truly want a world and a country where everyone matters. The race and representational bandwidth of Hollywood needs to expand. If generational marginalization is what Hollywood wants, then stop with the BS messaging about equality. Stop encouraging people to vote, or about the importance of protecting our constitution. The problem illuminated by "Hollywood soooo white" undermines all of that rhetoric. The problem undermines our future, hope, and any notion of fair play in this country.
This problem is a giant magnifying glass that will re-focus itself on the issue every year. Until the weight of the problem undermines profits.
If our history serves us correctly, those circumstances also breed resentment, tons of social action, and work for old corrupt neighborhood demagogues.
Unless, Hollywood is content with current fantasies like women who look like Whoopie Goldberg aren't beautiful enough to inspire romantic passions. Or that black men old as Morgan Freeman should never be considered a sex symbol, or as a viable romantic interest in a film story. Eventually more people will ask these questions, and more. Like why haven't they done a story about the complicated life of Adam Clayton Powell?
Does Hollywood even admit to itself there is such a thing as a complex, compelling, African American? The mold wasn't just created for Frank Lucas, or should only include Jackie Robinson, or President Barack Obama. I hope Nina Simone is a big screen film. Madam CJ Walker wasn't born rich. Okay, that's enough. I'm ranting now. Amazon.com/author/walterdunnjr
