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A Woman Called Moses, The opening scene, Harriet Tubman’s sister, being sold off and taken away. The pain and helplessness in Harriet’s face as she attempted to rescue her sister from being taken away was genuine, authentic emotion. Convincing! Decry, you have to experience it to understand it.
Cynthia Erivo, a British actress of Nigerian descent, was hired to play the role of Harriet Tubman in the movie Harriet. I did not have an issue with any black person portraying Harriet, as long as it was not Julia Roberts, as someone in Hollywood suggested. After the Oscar’s, there was a video circulating on social media of some American Descendants of Slaves (ADOS) criticizing Kasi Lemmons for hiring Ms. Erivo. I was shocked by what some ADOS said about Ms. Erivo and Ms. Lemmons, and do not agree with ADOS’s criticism.
However, having seen both Harriet, staring a good British-Nigerian actress Cynthia Erivo and A Woman Called Moses, staring the iconic African American actress Cicely Tyson, naturally, a comparison of the two actresses’ deliveries came to mind. In my opinion, Ms. Tyson’s portrayal of Harriet Tubman was raw, authentic, passionate, and full of fear, hurt, and anger. The passion, hurt, and anger Ms. Tyson delivered in her role could be contributed to the inequality, discrimination, and mistreatment African Americans continue to face in America. Ms. Erivo’s portrayal of Harriet Tubman was worthy; however, less passionate.
Unfortunately, when I posted a comment about Ms. Erivo’s portrayal of Harriet Tubman, it was misconstrued. Somehow, a few believed I said Africans could not adequately portray African Americans in movie roles. “Me, the Pan-Africanist, the woman not shy about sharing her love for Africa with anyone willing, or unwilling to listen?” That misunderstanding was a total falsehood. As I said above, too me, Ms. Erivo’s delivery was less robust and passionate (full stop). No way did I express Africans cannot portray African Americans in films. In comparison, Lupita, Nyong’ o an African actress, whose portrayal of an African American in 12 Years A Slave was excellent – intense, raw, and convincing.
Also worth noting, I have been a fan of Nollywood movies, and I am happy to see more African films continuously added to Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Youtube playlist. I am proud to see more African actors staring in American and British big-screen projects. Some of the more popular African actors are Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Boris Kodjoe, Djimon Hounsou, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Carmen Elizabeth Ejogo, Edi Gathegi, Danai Gurira, Sophie Okonedo, and Idris Alba. Their portrayals of a black person in American or European roles are convincing and send an encouraging message to young people of color who aspire to be entertainers. I also enjoy seeing African American actors collaborating with African actors in both British and American big-screen projects and African-themed projects.
Now to establish more African and African Diasporan collaborations in education, agricultural, and business ventures on the Continent are what we all should strive to achieve to create long-term opportunities and better lives for younger generations.
