If you don’t know who Justin Simien is, then you may be familiar with his newest film, Dear White People. The movie is a satire about real issues of race that are very much present in our society. The movie only grazes the issues, but presents it in a humorous and tasteful way. Presenting these issues in such a way sets an atmosphere that will hopefully bring a more inclusive group to theater. Calandra Davis, an activist and soon-to-be contributor posted, “It felt good to a watch a movie that explored real issues and contained complex Black characters.”
Community mobilizing tool: Sometimes the issues need to be dealt with delicately in order to gain other important and invested allies.
Project Kinect loves this film for many reasons. First, it was crowd-funded. This genuine film was created by a community of supporters who wanted to see such a satire made. Second, and it is important to state this again; The film presents the issues in a way to bring more eyes to theaters. Most importantly, this film has been released at a time in our history when we must start having real, constructive conversations about racial tensions, modern racism, and white privilege. If these conversations are not had, then we are doomed as a society and will not continue moving forward as a global leader. The possible actions and reactions if these issues are not discussed and worked on will be disastrous and we will look foolish to the rest of the world. But for now, go see the film.
**Photo credit goes to the Houston Chronicle. Project Kinect loved the picture. Click here to find the whole Houston Chronicle article.