‘Dear White People’: Resounding Netflix Hit Tackles Race | AM Joy

LIST OF ACCEPTABLE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, A PIRATE, SLUTTY
NURSE, ANY OF OUR FIRST 43 PRESIDENTS.
TOP OF THE LIST OF UNACCEPTABLE COSTUMES, ME.
WINCHESTER COULDN'T GET THROUGH 2017 WITHOUT BLACK FACE?
>> DEAR WHITE PEOPLE IS THE NEW SERIES BASED ON THE 2014 OF THE
SAME NAME THAT'S MAKING A SPLASH ON NETFLIX.
IT FOLLOWS A DIVERSE GROUP OF BLACK STUDENTS AS THEY NAVIGATE
THE RACIAL TENSIONS IN A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE FICTIONAL
IVY LEAGUE UNIVERSITY. THIS WEEK IT SCORED THE COVETED
100% RATING ON ROTTEN TOMATOES. GIVEN THE RACE'S BACKLASH AND
CAMPAIGN THAT ERUPTED WHEN A 30-SECOND TEASER TRAILER WAS
RELEASED IN FEBRUARY. APPARENTLY JUST SEEING THE WORDS
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE ON SCREEN WAS ENOUGH TO SEND TROLLS FROM THE
INTERNET INTO DELUSIONS OF WHITE GENOCIDE.
ACCOMPANIED BY THE CRIES OF WHY ISN'T THERE A DEAR BLACK PEOPLE.
IT'S GOT US ASKING IS THERE GOING TO BE A SEASON TWO.
JOINING ME PERHAPS WITH AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, THE
CREATOR OF DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, JUSTIN SIMIEN.
GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
>> I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE. >> THANK YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS FIRST OF ALL ON THE SERIES.
I LOVED THE FILM. I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT, FUNNY,
IRREVERENT AND IT TAKES YOU BACK IF YOU WANT TO A PREDOMINANTLY
WHITE INSTITUTION, IVY LEAGUE INSTITUTION AS I DID.
BUT THIS SERIES IS GREAT BECAUSE YOU GET TO DELVE INTO EACH OF
THE CHARACTERS A LITTLE MORE. HOW DID IT COME ABOUT THAT YOU
WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT FILM AND TURN IT INTO THIS SERIES?
>> IT REALLY WAS THIS KIND OF ORGANIC PROCESS.
I STARTED TINKERING WITH THE IDEA IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD
WHILE WE WERE TOURING WITH THE FILM.
I JUST FELT THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT WAS KIND OF LEFT ON THE
FLOOR, SO MANY STORIES THAT HAD TO GET CUT OUT FOR TIME, SO MANY
CHARACTERS THAT I DIDN'T GET TO DEVELOP.
GOING AROUND THE WORLD FRANKLY AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH
PEOPLE, IT JUST INSPIRED SO MANY MORE STORIES AND NARRATIVES THAT
I FELT I HAD TO BRING TO THE CULTURE.
LION'S GATE ASKED ME HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT A SHOW AND
IT JUST SO HAPPENS I HAD. >> WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUSTIN,
GOT ANYTHING TO DO? DO THIS SERIES.
IT'S ALSO PROPHETIC. IT'S FUNNY THAT PEOPLE FREAKED
OUT ABOUT THIS FILM AS IF IT'S JUST SORT OF AN OUTRAGE UPON
WHITE AMERICA WHEN, IN FACT, IN REAL LIFE RIGHT NOW YOU GUYS
OPENED THE FILM AND IT SORT OF CENTERS AROUND THIS BLACK FACE
PARTY THAT'S HELD BY A WHITE FRATERNITY TYPE ORGANIZATION ON
CAMPUS. THE "WASHINGTON POST" REPORTING
AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ONE OF THEIR FRATERNITIES HELD A CINCO
DEDRINK CO PARTY AND EVERY YEAR AT HALLOWEEN WE HAVE TO REREMIND
CELEBRITIES THAT THEY CAN'T
DRESS UP IN BLACK FACE. WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE SHE IS ISSUES
REMAIN PERENNIAL AMONG THE YOUNGER GENERATION THAT WE KEEP
SAYING ARE SO EVOLVED ON RACE? >> I THINK WE HAVE THIS SORT OF
HISTORICAL -- I FEEL LIKE PART OF THIS IS THE EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM. WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH AN
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH SLSLAVERY, AFTER SLAVERY, D
HOW IT FRANKLY STILL REVERBERATES IN OUR CULTURE TO
THIS VERY DAY AND VERY PALPABLE DEMONSTRATABLE WAYS.
I THINK THAT IF ALL YOU KNOW OF BLACK PEOPLE IS SORT OF WHAT YOU
SEE ON TV AND THAT'S WHAT YOU REPLICATE, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE
GOING TO GET FRANKLY. >> ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW THE OTHER WAYS IN WHICH YOU GUYS ARE VERY TIMELY AND
TOPICAL, YOU HAVE AN EPISODE IN EPISODE FIVE AND I AM BINGE
WATCHING THE HECK OUT OF THIS SHOW.
REGGIE IS CONFRONTED AT A PARTY BY A CAMPUS POLICE OFFICER.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK. >> I'M GOING TO NEED TO SEE YOUR
I.D.
>> WHY YOU NEED TO SEE MY I.D.? >> SON, I SAID I.D.
>> REGGIE, DO WHAT HE SAYS. >> I SAID SHOW ME SOME I.D.!
>> THAT'S SORT OF THE FEAR OF EVERY BLACK PARENT BASICALLY,
THAT THEIR SON WHO THEY'VE DRESSED UP AND SENT OFF TO
COLLEGE AND THEY'RE PAYING TUITION FOR WON'T COME HOME
BECAUSE OF AN ENCOUNTER WITH A POLICE OFFICER WHO'S HAVING A
BAD DAY. >> ABSOLUTELY.
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I JUST FELT I HAD A
RESPONSIBILITY TO TELL THAT STORY ABOUT WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
TO BE A YOUNG BLACK PERSON IN THIS COUNTRY.
YOU'RE JUST WALKING THROUGH THE WORLD, MINDING YOUROUR BLACK
BUSINESS, AND THEN NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER WHAT CLASS OR
CITY OR LEVEL OF EDUCATION YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S FATAL TO BE
BLACK, IT REALLY IS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU
KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND CONFRONT
IN AN HONEST WAY. OUR SHOW RUNNER, YVETTE LEE
BOWSER, SHE WAS TELLING US A STORY ABOUT HOW SHE WAS ON THE
PHONE WITH HER HUSBAND WHILE THEY GOT PULLED OVER BY A COP
AND SHE WAS TERRIFIED FOR A MOMENT THAT IS SHE GOING TO
HEAR, YOU KNOW, THE END OF HER HUSBAND AND HER SON'S LIFE.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY DEAL WITH ON A
DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. >> IS IT DEPRESSING TO THINK
THAT IN 2017 THIS IS STILL WHERE WE ARE, THAT WE STILL HAVE THIS
FUNDAMENTAL FEAR OF THE POLICE EVEN AMONG COLLEGE, COLLEGIATE
BLACK PEOPLE, YOU JUST HAD THIS 15-YEAR-OLD BOY KILLED IN A
DRIVEWAY AFTER LEAVING A PARTY BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE PARTY WAS
TOO ROWDY, THAT YOU'RE LITERALLY NOT SAFE ANYWHERE.
DOES IT EVER DEPRESS YOU THAT THIS IS STILL THE STORY THAT YOU
HAVE TO TELL? >> OH, MY GOD, IT IS PROFOUNDLY
DEPRESSING, TO BE HONEST. THE ONLY THING THAT GIVES ME
SOME SORT OF GOOD FEELING IS THAT I BELIEVE WHAT'S UNIQUE TO
MY GENERATION IS WE DO HAVE A VOICE.
A GUY LIKE ME WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO VOICE THESE THINGS JUST A
GENERATION BEFORE, AND I HAVE TO TAKE THAT, USE THAT PLATFORM TO
SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS STUFF. OF COURSE IT'S PROFOUNDLY
TRAUMATIZING. EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN YOU WAKE
UP AND YOU SEE SOMEBODY'S NAME OR SOME CITY HASHTAG THAT'S
TRENDING, THE HEART STOPS. LIKE WHO DID WE LOSE THIS TIME.
WHAT FAMILYY HAS BEEN DESTROYED THIS TIME.
>> AND THIS HAPPENS -- YOUR FILM TAKES PLACE AT A PREDOMINANTLY
WHITE COLLEGE BUT THIS HAPPENS IN A WEEK WHERE NO ONLY IS BETSY
DeVOS GOING TO SPEAK AT BA THUNE BUT YOU HAVE DONALD TRUMP
QUESTIONING WHETHER THE KEY FUNDING FOR BLACK COLLEGES IS
EVEN CONSTITUTIONAL. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE REAL
WORLD WHERE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BRINGS ALL THE
BLACK COLLEGES IN FOR A PHOTO OP AND SAYS, I MAY NOT FUND YOU.
>> WHAT DO I MAKE UNFORTUNATELY IT'S NOTHING NEW.
BLACK PEOPLE HAVE BEEN USED TO SORT OF HELP POLITICIANS SINCE
TIME IN MEMORIAL. AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S THIS
SOURCE -- HE TALKS ABOUT THIS SORT OF KIND OF LIKE GUILT THAT
SORT P HAPPENS IN THE OPPRESSIVE CLASS OF A COMMUNITY.
I THINK ALL OF THIS IS REALLY STILL A BACKLASH FROM THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION, DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO INTERPRET IT.
>> I HOPE EVERYONE WILL CHECK OUT "DEAR WHITE PEOPLE."
YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH THE SHOW, IT IS YOUR
BIRTHDAY. >> IT IS.
>> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. >> HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU. CONGRATS ON YOUR SHOW.
>> THERE IS MUCH

‘Dear White People’: Resounding Netflix Hit Tackles Race | AM Joy | MSNBC

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