How do you think Hollywood or local theaters can change a stereotypical image of a black character?
I think they need to write new shows. We need to move into 2010, where we have a black president, where there are educated black people, where we’re not just basketball players and rappers. We need to acknowledge that we have a whole group of African Americans who speak well, who’ve gone to college, who have a whole different perspective on life. I didn’t struggle in the ghetto. It’s time to find those stories and create stories of different black people. Have you ever encountered, or been a victim of, racism in your life? I have felt a victim of racism, but not necessarily in this business. Now being on the other side of the table, I need a specific type of person for my show. I can’t cast a white person in a Black History Month program. I used to get so angry. “The Lion King,” for instance, I’ve never gotten into that show, and people say, “You’re black. You should be in that show.” But they’ll cast a lot of lighter-skinned African Americans in that show. It’s really difficult, and I
Related Questions
- What do you think the US needs to continue to grow the sport, and more importantly even, to let it develop its own character rather than being the poor cousin of Euro racing?
- Is it possible to see Calpurnia as a character subscribing to the image of a stereotypical black woman?
- What do black people think of the image of the black male as "violent rapist"?
