How The Dark- vs. Light-Skin Debate Misses The Point About Black Women And The Media
By Guest Contributor Spectra, cross-posted from Spectra Speaks
Zoe Saldana (l) and Nina Simone. Courtesy: The Hollywood Reporter.
In case you missed it, Hollywood is gearing up to release a biopic of Nina Simone, an African-American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist whose music was highly influential in the fight for equal rights for blacks in the U.S.
I myself was only introduced to Nina Simone via a remake of her song, “Feeling Good.” I remember jamming to it in my dorm room when a friend of mine remarked that it was nowhere near being as good as the original. I promptly searched for the original on YouTube and was blown away by the command of her voice.
Further searches led me to “Strange Fruit“, a song (based on a famous poem written by Abel Meeropol) she performed about lynchings in the South, along with a slew of other noteworthy appearances that punctuated her career path as a Black woman singer-turned-political figure.
A biopic about Nina Simone will undoubtedly strike a chord with the African-American community. But given the recent controversy surrounding the project’s casting choices (i.e. Zoe Saldana, a Dominican actress as the lead), it’s not likely to be perceived as the “right” chord.
But when is it ever?
In a recent update on Facebook, Nina Simone’s daughter, Simone, shared her thoughts about the new film project. Here are, for me, the most important aspects of her comment:
Please note, this project is unauthorized. The Nina Simone Estate was never asked permission nor invited to participate.
If written, funded and CAST PROPERLY a movie about my mother will make an lasting imprint.
From Tragedy to Transcendence – MY VISION. The whole arc of her life which is inspirational, educational, entertaining and downright shocking at times is what needs to be told THE RIGHT WAY.
For all she endured while here and all of the lives she has touched, she DESERVES to be remembered for who she truly was; not some made up love story from a former nurse/manager (now deceased) who sold his life rights because of his relationship to Nina Simone.
You can read the rest of her comments here. In a nutshell, here are my two cents ..
Courtesy: blackfilm.com
I’m not surprised that a movie is being made about Nina Simone without consulting her family or estate. Not one bit. We know this story all too well: The Help and Untitled Nelson and Winnie Mandela Biopic also moved ahead without consent from the source …
I’m also not surprised that the screenplay for the Nina Simone biopic wasn’t written by a black woman, and thus, per her daughter’s concerns, will use that as license to perpetuate inaccuracies.
And finally, though sadly, I’m not surprised that black women have busied themselves with the question of who will “play” the role of Nina Simone (Zoe Saldana vs. dark-skinned black actresses) rather than focus on the root cause of misrepresentation in Hollywood: the absence of a strong network of black writers, producers, and studios.
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