I’ve been told that some readers were initially taken aback by my emphasis on the beauty of the protagonist of my novel, Where it Rains in Color. But, I think my intent is obvious. If not, please google the current outrage over the casting of Lupita Nyongo as Helen of Troy in the upcoming movie, Odyssey. The mythological Helen of Troy has been idealized as the most breathtaking woman in the universe, a divine temptress with supernatural charm. The fact that Hollywood would dare offer this role to an actress from Kenya is heresy. No, make that taboo. Afterall, women of African descent have fluffy hair that spirals upward, full lips shaped in a perpetual pout and skin that spans the color spectrum from pearl to copper to a shade so black it’s almost blue. When I chose to glorify this look I was being deliberately and exotically defiant. I also was exposing what I call the politics of beauty. As one of my novel’s characters puts it: “Comeliness is a self-aggrandizing bias pushed by those with power and privilege.” In other words, it’s a construct rooted in prolonged societal conditioning and centuries of brainwash. Anyone who doesn’t believe this isn’t paying attention. They don’t realize that in order to maintain their stronghold, white supremacists must continue to convince the world to deify their features. They absolutely must reinforce a homogenous, cookie cutter image and promote the value of lily-white genes. In Where it Rains in Color, I did just the opposite. I challenged the status quo. Odyssey producer, Christopher Nolan, in his depiction of Lupita as a demigod with a midnight complexion, is doing the same. He’s ignoring the anti-diversity climate of the country and saying yes to inclusion. As an Afrofuturist, I applaud his courage and plan to show my support at the box office.
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