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Happy 2014 to you & yours!
I'm sharing an article my husband wrote about Black films and Black support of those films. Enjoy!

Well, Happy Saturday!!! Today, I found myself doing something I RARELY do...read something that is not education-related!!! I LIKE THAT! But, I want say something about what I read...it has made me reflect on something I have talked about among friends over the last few years.
 I picked up the Dec/Jan issue of Ebony, and read the featured article "Men of Honor", featuring Forest Whitaker & Chiwetel Ejiofor (pronounced 'Chew-eh-tell Edge-ee-oh-for). In both interviews, these two said basically the same thing. Both actors addressed the roles that they recently played in "The Butler" and "12 Years a Slave". In my humble attempt to paraphrase these 2 phenomenal gentlemen, I believe what they are saying to all that would consider their view.
 Both Forest & Chiwetel squarely addressed that fact that they portrayed characters that resurrected roles that we, as African American people, seem to wish not to be continuously portrayed & casted as...a butler...a slave. My paraphrase of their comments is this...our history is our history. We had to live through some of the most inhumane conditions and we have consistently fought to be recognized & afforded the right to be what we have always wanted...to be treated civilly & respected as a human being in the human race. We were brought to this country against our will...brought from a country where we were kings, queens, princes & princesses...we were royalty. However, the one arguable, but (I submit) undeniable fact is that we, as a race of people, have been resourceful, creative and resilient. We, as a race of people, have survived and thrived in an environment that was, and still is, designed to "steal, kill and destroy"! But, in spite of what we've been through (the absolute horror of all of it), and what we still are going through (whether we care to acknowledge it or not), we, as a race of people, are still here!

The character that Forest played showed us the strength that it took to grow from the ashes of a sexually abused mother and a father killed before his very eyes to become relevant for himself and the future of his family...to become a butler. Forest's character provided for his family through his career as a butler. It was one of the jobs African Americans had available to them during the period of our history. Was he supposed to reject this means of employment and permit him & his family to face poverty & homelessness? Or do what he needed to do to provide for his wife & family? Forest portrayed the multi-layered levels of strength that we had to survive in an economic system that was not for us to be successful in. And Forest had to exercise this "strength" when he was accused of shoplifting in a Manhattan deli this in February '12. Also, what Forest is saying, I think, is that we have a myriad of stories within our history...and a lot of those stories will not be pleasant, wonderful or pretty. But, they will once again, show our "strengths"...resourcefulness, creativity, resiliency (to articulate a few).

Chiwetel considered the Solomon Northup story one that was important & needed to be told in this film. I will tell you that I had no idea how a freed African American became enslaved until this movie was made. But, again, Chiwetel felt to not have Solomon's story told would have denied us an opportunity to see our "strength" in action from a very different perspective. Chiwetel's portrayal dealt with the realistic nature of slavery and how even this story was even possible...able to even occur. And, I agree with him when he says we, as a people, cannot become party to what can and cannot be shown regarding our history. We cannot get caught in only showing the "good sides"...that would be unrealistic, 'one-sided' and a tragedy to what we have endured survived and have overcome.

I firmly believe our entire history as a people - past, present and future - makes us a very proud and prominent people. Yes, I don't like what my fore-parents had to suffer, experience and be subjected to during their lifetimes. But, I am glad that those experiences do not cause us to become extinct, but they have brought us a very long way in this human existence. And I look forward to the continuous celebration of our history in films to come...the good, the unpleasant, the unfortunate, the prevailing, the wonderful!

I promise you I did not start out trying to write a "dissertation", but I feel I need to say one more thing. I want to forward the suggestion that we need to stop having, sustaining and/or perpetuating a "Willie Lynch" attitude when it comes to supporting the African Americans in the movie industry. Now, I know that "name" will evoke some emotional responses that won't be pleasant, but hear me out on this.

What I am saying is this...we should try to support our brothers & sisters in the film industry regardless of what they bring to the big screen. There is infighting amongst us about what movies are worthy seeing and what movies are not worth even purchasing a 'bootleg' copy of. I know I have had some real conversations with family & friends about African American movies starring African American actors/actresses or African American directors; what movies were absolutely awesome; what movies absolutely sucked,, and the conversation would include both spectrums.

I will tell you that I DID NOT want to see "12 Years". I actually said 'I don't want to see ANOTHER movie about slavery'. And, yes, I did see "Django". But, I told myself I was done after seeing that one. All I can say is this...I am so glad I saw it. Loved it...hated it...you are truly entitled to your opinion. But for me, it was (as I said earlier) a story I had not known about...a real story. And I was appreciative of Steve McQueen and Chiwetel Ejiofor bringing this story for all of us to see, experience and know about.

I believe this is something my Dad lived and did before my very eyes as I grew up...Dad believed in supporting African Americans and the businesses they owned. So, I'm striving to be like my Dad in this regard when it comes to supporting my own in the movie industry. Forest mentions that when he was young, there was only one visible actor that looked like him...Sidney Poitier...the 1st African American man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. But, he was it...the only example for Forest. And then there's Hattie McDaniel, who won her Oscar for portraying a house maid named "Mammy". When she was named the Best Supporting Actress in 1939, she had to come from the segregated section in the back to the stage. And, even then, Ms. McDaniel had to endure a lot of unpleasantness from Blacks and Whites regarding this role. But, her winning that award gave us, as a people, the hope that has brought us to today's influence in the film industry.

So, I understand we all will have our opinions about African Americans in the film industry. And rightly so. I only ask that we always strongly consider supporting African American efforts in the movie industry. Both Forest and Chiwetel believe that we are going to a new level of films about us, for us, brought to us by us! With the emergence of new actors like Michael B. Jordan, directors like Kasi Lemmons and Lee Daniels. Please remember this...Hollywood respects and supports films that do well at the box office. Let us all partner in making sure that we let Hollywood know we support the efforts of African Americans in the movie industry...and we will put our 'collective monies' together to prove our support.

Thank you to all y'all that actually READ ALL OF THIS! LOL! Love my Facebook Family! Enjoy the rest of your fabulous day!!!  Jim Walton