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Today we speak to Bo (https://twitter.com/eBoPeep) about a recent controversy revolving UK-born Nigerian-descended actress Cynthia Erivo and the announcement that she would be playing Harriet Tubman in an upcoming American movie production. Bo pulled up and documented a lot of Cynthia Erivo’s problematic tweets on Twitter about American Blacks to make the case that Erivo shouldn’t be playing an American Black icon like Harriet Tubman.
Bo is a proud descendant of American and Caribbean enslaved peoples, and particularly passionate about current American DOS issues. She believes in applying a long-term, holistic and sober view to “I’m rooting for everyone Black.” She also believes in the immediate necessity of honoring and protecting our respective and unique cultures, lineages, boundaries, experiences, and justice claims throughout the Diaspora.
Discussed in the episode:
- Twitter handles of other users who have been beating the drum of this cause: @TylerCollins101, @Behembaba, @PeachesJenkins3, @Blackcowork. Also @ebonyteach’s deep thread on this
- The Change.org petition regarding Erivo playing Harriet Tubman: https://www.change.org/p/boycott-recast-a-black-american-actress-to-play-harriet-tubman
- Beyond Culture by Edward T. Hall https://amzn.to/2Cb3NW2
- The post by white guy Jordan Prescott aping black slang to defend Erivo https://twitter.com/RickyRawls/status/1044652485640687618
- Bo’s two threads about this issue collected onto single pages: first https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1044181901706178560.html and second https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1041006197581774848.html
- Two Champagne Sharks episode that provide extra context to these issues, CS 112 about Luvvie http://champagnesharks.blubrry.net/cs-112-luvvie-ajayi-and-black-blackface-double-length-08-26-2018/ and CS 120 with Yvette Carnell http://champagnesharks.blubrry.net/cs-120-diasporic-divisions-feat-yvette-carnell-breakingbrown-09-29-2018/
- Issa Rae’s Black sitcom photoshoot in GQ: https://www.gq.com/story/issa-rae-insecure-profile