"Dear White People": The Sundance Film for the Young Black Hipster Generation

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Picture this. The lives of a small number of black students unfold on the campus of the fictitious, prominently white Ivy League college Winchester University, paralleling the present-day sampling of the current black to white US population, if you will. They are different in their views of post-civil rights era of black identity. There are the new generation of budding proud black militants, the black conformists to their white surroundings, the self-hating black students, blacks who know little about their culture, and the black student comfortable in their own skin. Even though they all have in common the influence, intelligence and opportunity to exist in this place as their white counterparts, they must contend racial presumptions and attitudes that blacks must contend with everyday other races. This is all dealt with in a smart and statical way, a valiant first offering from writer-director Justin Simien.

The impetus of the story is a college radio show called "Dear White People" run by biracial student Samantha White (Tessa Thompson), who always begins her show by calling out ignorant statements comment to the masses. The film begins with an oldy but goody: "Dear White People, the amount of black friends required not to seem racist has just been raised to two. Sorry, your weed man, Tyrone, doesn't count." When Sam decides to run for president of the all black residential hall on campus to save the haven to black culture the building has always provided, reality tv, campus journalism, and campus secret societies all converge in the name of race and controversy.

One of the most clever contemporary black films to day, akin to 90s Spike Lee with a modern hipster edge Dear White People offers a visual perspective into the inner and outer struggles of the black Y generation. It touches on the new ways they define themselves but also the threads of similarities to older generations regarding issues that continue to plague the community. While it doesn’t alienate its white audience and gives them permission to laugh, the film humorously speaks more to its young black audience to say “you are more complex than that Tyler Perry movie makes you out to be”. At times, you’ll have to excuse some of its self-importance but its worth the experience and messages it provides.

--> I screened this movie at Sundance 2014 and hung out at the "Dear White People" film reception thrown by YouTube. Check out some pictures here.

--> The cast and director discuss their satire here.

--> In an interview, director Justin Simien reflects on the deeply on the interracial conflict of the film.

Twitter: @shalathomas // Email: lifebetweenfilms@gmail.com // Blog: life-between-films@tumblr.com

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