by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I recently read an open letter written by Regina King, the famous actress who seems to be in every major black film and TV show I can think of. Ms. King is a black female version of Harrison Ford, the kind of actress who has been in more movies than we can name, yet unappreciated for the magnitude of her gifts to the industry.
Regina King's recent challenge to those who hand out little meaningless trophies called Emmy Awards was a very telling reminder that racism knows no boundaries. The Hollywood streets and screens that have been traditionally denied to us as a people continue to be granted to others who have exclusive racial access. Just like during the days of slavery, we do much of the work, but get very little credit.
