Race Themed Life

I saw The Best Man Holiday over weekend. Then I read this piece by the great Wesley Morris and saw this by the always engaging Marc Lamont Hill; frankly, this is a conversation I’ve had foe several years, but this year I’ve been more vocal about it. Part of the reason for my hyper awareness stems from the fact that only two of my close non-Negro friends have seen Oversimplification of Her Beauty or Fruitvale Station, even though I described them of two the best films I’ve seen all year. Why don’t they watch films with Negros? I wonder; actually, I don’t wonder. I know why. I know non-Negroes have an issue seeing themselves in the lives of Negroes, although I grew up wanting to be Egon and not Winston. It’s the same reason Woody Allen has never casts a Black lead for any of his films. It’s the same reason I was asked to present on the history of Black film while the other students were asked to present one film from one specific area. It’s why my students scoffed at the idea of Idris Elba over Ben Affleck for Batman or why Donald Glover has a stand up bit about his a Spider-man. It’s racism. Same is true for mostly female casts film, and gay casts films as well. I’m not calling anyone racist, sexist, nor homophobic, but most have yet to acknowledge how socialization on race, class, gender, and sexual orientation permeates our everyday actions, and rarely to our knowledge.