Tracking: Are We Black Enough?

Are We Black Enough?

Earlier this year, Daniel Kaluuya (pictured) made history as he became the first Black British actor to win an Academy Award, for his portrayal of Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). Kaluuya’s win highlights how far he has come as an actor in a relatively short period of time. As the first Black British actor to win an Academy Award, it also, however, recalls the familiar discussion on the place of Black British actors in Hollywood. In a 2017 interview with New York radio station Hot 97, Samuel L. Jackson criticised the casting of Black British >>

actors in roles about American race relations, directly calling out the decision to cast Kaluuya in Get Out (2017) and David Oyelowo in Selma (2015). His comments stemmed from the thought that the experience of Black people isn’t universal – specifically that Black British actors cannot fully portray the African American experience because they haven’t lived it themselves.

To a degree Jackson is right – Black people aren’t monolithic and each individual person’s experiences are their own. What he seems to forget, however, is that racial inequality, racial injustice, and racial discrimination are not exclusive to the US.

Another facet of the argument is the idea that Black British actors are cheaper than their African American counterparts –

David Oyelowo in Selma

a sentiment shared by Jackson that also appeared in Spike Lee’s series She’s Gotta Have It (2017-2019). In Season Two: Episode Five, the protagonist Nola Darling, debates the impact of Black British actors in Hollywood, at one point describing Black British actors as ‘cheap’ and ignorant of their own history, suffering from Stockholm syndrome. The clip sparked outrage and criticisms on social media, most notably from Black British actor John Boyega who, after seeing the viral clip, simply retweeted ‘trash’. There is a certain level of hypocrisy within this argument as African American actors are also repeatedly cast in roles portraying other cultures and nationalities. For example, both Don Cheadle in Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and Forest Whitaker in The Crying Game (1992) play British

characters, while Denzel Washington in Cry Freedom (1987), Morgan Freeman in Invictus (2009), Jennifer Hudson in Winnie Mandela (2011) and Angela Bassett in Black Panther (2018) all play African characters.

Furthermore, the conversation around Black British talent in the US tends to ignore a fundamental issue: the UK film and television industries have historically been much less inclusive to Black and mixed-race performers. The fact that many Black British actors feel that they have more opportunities in the US demonstrates that there is a problem with the industry here. On the other hand, if there aren’t enough diverse roles available in the US to encompass both African American and Black British actors then there is something wrong there.

Jennifer Hudson in Winnie Mandela

With Kaluuya having received many criticisms over his casting to play Fred Hampton, it is clear this discussion is far from over. Now, months after the film’s release, subsequent success, and an Oscar under his belt, will things change? Has it with Cynthia Erivo playing Aretha Franklin after nominations for her Harriet Tubman portrayal? Maybe, maybe not. We know one thing won’t change: actors from the US and the UK will continue to be cast to play people from all walks of life, regardless of nationality or place of birth. So, while the conversation may not end, maybe it will start to shed light on the bigger picture and stop ignoring problems with the industry at large simply for the purpose of making Black British actors look bad for doing their jobs. Louise Giadom n