Shadow And Act just posted an article on the sad state of affairs on the cover of Vanity Fair's cover story of the top actresses under 30. If you look at the lily-white cover, it's obvious who is missing! But is this news to us, really? I mean, those of us people of color who create movies and love movies are well aware of the lack--I mean void of black actors on screen. This article only illuminates a much larger problem. There are only about three or four black films released a year--and two of those will be Tyler Perry films. We'll get one Will Smith film or Denzel film a year as well--because apparently those are the only black actors who have achieved mainstream success. Basically, we are virtually invisible still in Hollywood. Every once in a while, there will be a groundbreaking performance like this year, Mo'nique in "Precious" and Hollywood will be so caught up in that performance, hyping it constantly that we forget that it's one black actor, in one movie and all the other 98 percent of the movies critically acclaimed are white.
Blacks have definitely made strides in Hollywood from the Step-N-Fechit days. But we still have so much further to go. There are still very few black films that have been released that capture the vast, multi-dimensional truth of the Black Experience. We have so many stories to tell. To me, it's not even about becoming valued in Hollywood's eyes. I champion independent cinema because that's an opportunity to tell our stories our way and Hollywood can either get behind these films or not--regardless these films speak for themselves. Let's face it, "Precious" would have never been made unless Lee Daniels did it independently.
Black writer/director Tanya Hamilton is releasing the Black Panther film, "Night Catches Us" this year--another independent film. So please support it! (below is an image from the film starring Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington, two enormously talented black actors)
So Vanity Fair be damned. I honor Gabourey Sidibe on this blog. Who so rightly deserved to make your cover but did not. And let's be real, we all know why. Oscar-nominated Gabourey Sidibe, 26, gave a brave and deeply moving performance as Precious in "Precious: Based On the Book Push By Sapphire." Without her performance, the movie may have been impossible to watch. Gabourey brought a light to the movie's horrifying subject matter. Despite how many people loved or hated this movie, almost everyone I've spoken to agrees Gabby's performance was strong and noteworthy.
In an upcoming blog post, I will be listing my twenty favorite performances by black actresses and actors.
Stay tuned, y'all.
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