Now That You've Seen Red Tails
January 23, 2012
Jackie Wright of Wright Enterprises encourages everyone to see "Red Tails." The film hopefully will send young people to the Internet and/or Library for more research about a very trying time on our globe and will encourage older people to share family news and secrets about the time; yet Wright says a very important key to the story was left out. Wright applauds LucasFilm for "Red Tails" but hopes the company or studios will tell the whole story in future films.
"RED TAILS"-WHERE'S THE BLACK WOMAN--GIRLFRIEND, WIFE, SISTER, MOMMA, BLACK PIN UP GIRL, LENA HORNE, SOMEBODY?
After an early screening Wright's email to a LucasFilm Executive- "Red Tails Reinforces Stereotype of Black Men's Love for the White Virgin" queries about the role of the Black Woman---
"Loved the film....but I really have been going over and over in my mind to remember if there was a scene that contained a beautiful black woman or a black woman at all....
So without going into a deep dissertation--- I'll try to make my point as briefly as possible---
For "Red Tails" to have a main theme of a Black soldier in love with an Italian Woman, without one scene of another Black man taking :30 seconds to recall kissing his beautiful Black wife or girlfriend goodbye ---is a major disservice to the Tuskegee Airmen and the Black women who supported them.....
Don't recall many women in the film at all--- but the two women in the Italian family--- and to have the only love story of a Black man who proclaimed that "the most beautiful woman in the world" was a White Woman and his dying moments was worshiping a White Woman--- is a disservice to all the Black men who have hung from a tree because they were suspected for looking at a White Woman--- not to mention Emmett Til--- a boy.
These are just a few references to lynching and the motivation for it....
http://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/354
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/peopleevents/e_lynch.html
Maybe having a shot of one of the 579 Black nurses out of 50,000 mostly White nurses during World War II in the film changing a bandage would have helped ---
World War II Nurse Evelyn Decker
http://wwarii.com/blog/archives/defiant-black-nurse-never-quit/
Or a scene of a Black Soldier kissing a photo of his Black wife or girlfriend good night--- or something would have brought some balance....
With the trend of so many Black sports & entertainment folks, not to mention the Clarence Thomas', Ward Connelly's and the tales of Herman Cain's Blonde Bomb chasing--- Black men with White women--- is nothing new.
I believe people find love or lust where they can---and their emotions shouldn't be relegated to a particular color box....
But---
Without the small images for balance that were suggested earlier in this email or something similar, the film as refreshing as it is--- intentionally or inadvertently, reinforces that deep dark stereotypical theme of literature of the Mandingo oversexed Black male-- hungry for white flesh
....and that dark theme is still embedded in the minds of the descendants of those who so easily lynched Black men not so long ago.......
Thought I would share---especially since you mentioned the film is still in the works....
Best regards,
Jackie"
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After an early screening Wright's email to a LucasFilm Executive- "Red Tails Reinforces Stereotype of Black Men's Love for the White Virgin" queries about the role of the Black Woman---
"Loved the film....but I really have been going over and over in my mind to remember if there was a scene that contained a beautiful black woman or a black woman at all....
So without going into a deep dissertation--- I'll try to make my point as briefly as possible---
For "Red Tails" to have a main theme of a Black soldier in love with an Italian Woman, without one scene of another Black man taking :30 seconds to recall kissing his beautiful Black wife or girlfriend goodbye ---is a major disservice to the Tuskegee Airmen and the Black women who supported them.....
Don't recall many women in the film at all--- but the two women in the Italian family--- and to have the only love story of a Black man who proclaimed that "the most beautiful woman in the world" was a White Woman and his dying moments was worshiping a White Woman--- is a disservice to all the Black men who have hung from a tree because they were suspected for looking at a White Woman--- not to mention Emmett Til--- a boy.
These are just a few references to lynching and the motivation for it....
http://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/354
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/peopleevents/e_lynch.html
Maybe having a shot of one of the 579 Black nurses out of 50,000 mostly White nurses during World War II in the film changing a bandage would have helped ---
World War II Nurse Evelyn Decker
Or a scene of a Black Soldier kissing a photo of his Black wife or girlfriend good night--- or something would have brought some balance....
With the trend of so many Black sports & entertainment folks, not to mention the Clarence Thomas', Ward Connelly's and the tales of Herman Cain's Blonde Bomb chasing--- Black men with White women--- is nothing new.
I believe people find love or lust where they can---and their emotions shouldn't be relegated to a particular color box....
But---
Without the small images for balance that were suggested earlier in this email or something similar, the film as refreshing as it is--- intentionally or inadvertently, reinforces that deep dark stereotypical theme of literature of the Mandingo oversexed Black male-- hungry for white flesh
....and that dark theme is still embedded in the minds of the descendants of those who so easily lynched Black men not so long ago.......
Thought I would share---especially since you mentioned the film is still in the works....
Best regards,
Jackie"
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A HISTORIC BLACK LOVE STORY YOU WON'T FIND IN "RED TAILS"
"RED TAILS," HOLLYWOOD TALES, MLK & MORE FROM LAHITZ MEDIA
"SF BayView Posts "Red Tails, Hollywood Tales....
"RED TAILS" #2 AT BOX OFFICE WITH $19 MILLION
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