the birth of a nation
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Can There Be Redemption for Nate Parker?
Six years after he fell off Hollywood’s radar–and almost completely out of our consciousness–what will be next for the actor?
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On the Comeback Trail, Nate Parker Shows American Skin and Apologizes About ‘Tone Deaf’ Response to Resurfaced Rape Charge
Nate Parker has a new attitude. And a new project he’s hawking to the masses. The once embattled actor/director—who torpedoed his Academy Award possibilities for his directorial debut, The Birth of a Nation in 2016 after a 1999 rape charge resurfaced while promoting the Nat Turner biopic—is back on the film festival circuit with his…
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Stop Pitting Tyler Perry's Boo! A Madea Halloween Against The Birth of a Nation
If one ever wants to know what the slower side of intelligentsia is thinking or, in this case, not really thinking, in 2016, you can often find the answer in a meme. To wit, after Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween grossed more than $28 million opening weekend, I stumbled upon an unfortunate lil’ meme that compared…
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Watch: How Did the Stars of The Birth of a Nation Practice Self-Care While Shooting This Intense Film?
Black trauma stems back as far back as slavery. Knowing that our ancestors were treated worse than animals—brutalized, dehumanized and demeaned—and that this terrible legacy of racism has carried on to our modern and “progressive” times is a painful truth that we must face every day. When movies like The Birth of a Nation are…
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Review: The Birth of a Nation Isn't Strong Enough to Shake Director's Past
Editor’s note: This review contains spoilers. The Birth of a Nation reminded me of Old Man Harris. He was a bluesman in the Mississippi Delta before he became the director of the men’s chorus at my childhood church. He claimed that he’d played with the likes of B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf before…
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Don’t Read the Comments … Especially if You’re a Black Woman
Two weeks ago I wrote an article in the form of an open letter to Nate Parker, confessing my conflicted feelings about the recently resurfaced revelations about his 17-year-old rape trial. It should be noted that my article was one of dozens on the topic, and far from the most damning. While I openly expressed my…
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Exclusive: Nate Parker's Former Classmates, Penn State Alumni Speak Out in Support
Four Penn State University alumni have come out in support of embattled actor Nate Parker and writer Jean McGianni Celestin, releasing a statement exclusively to The Root late Wednesday night. In the letter, Penn State alums LaKeisha Wolf, Assata Richards, Lurie Daniel Favors and Brian Favors all state their belief in the innocence of Parker…
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Al Sharpton to Question 'Right-Wing Motives' in Bringing Up Nate Parker College Rape Accusations
The Rev. Al Sharpton is slated to discuss “conservative right-wing attempts” to discredit Nate Parker and his upcoming film, The Birth of a Nation, during National Action Network’s action rally and radio broadcast Saturday. According to a press release by NAN, Sharpton will question the “right-wing motives” of bringing up the 17-year-old rape case as a…