Bantu Thoughts- 'Birth of a Nation' actress Gabrielle Union: "I cannot take Nate Parker rape allegations lightly"

Bantucinema
Bantu Thoughts- 'Birth of a Nation' actress Gabrielle Union: "I cannot take Nate Parker rape allegations lightly"
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-union-nate-parker-birth-nation-rape-allegation-20160902-snap-story.html
By William Rivers

This morning I read a wonderfully written Op-Ed, written by one of my favorite actresses, Gabrielle Union. Her piece revolved around the rape allegations toward Nate Parker that were recently brought back into the public eye due to the coming release of their film, Birth of a Nation. For those of you who don't already know, the film centers around the story of Nat Turner. Turner was a Virginian slave who lead a rebellion against his captures in 1831. This film is highly anticipated for its rare message of rebellion and aggressive protest that is often not spoken of, especially by those who would like to see Blacks in America simply remain quiet. There are many who believe that these allegations are reason enough to boycott the film, while others take the stance that because these allegations happened so long ago, and Parker was found guiltless in a court of law that we can't punish him in good conscience. I tow the line on whether or not Parker deserves scrutiny, simply because I wasn't there and I don't know what really happened. In her article, Gabrielle Union states this fact, but also brings a very important point to the table that seems to be often overlooked, especially by those discussing this over social media.

(Article linked above for context)

I agree with Union completely on this one. I like that she stresses the necessity of using her role in the film to teach her sons in the ways of the world and in their role as boys soon to become men. I feel that it is incredibly important that we raise our sons correctly rather than blaming the victims every time some innocent woman is raped. The "Boys will be boys" thing is bull shit and should be addressed by competent parents like Gabrielle Union.

Union mentions that even after having read the entire transcript of the court case, she doesn't know what really happened, but never-the-less will take action in productive ways to fight the issue. Too many people are ignoring this ISSUE and are just talking about not watching a movie. I've noticed over the past month since the original article was released, that people are overwhelmingly focused on the film and not on the possible victim here. If these allegations are true, then this woman suffered a traumatic experience, and subsequently left her son to be raised without her four years ago. THAT is the story. What good does not watching this movie do if people don't actually go and try to solve the problem which is the fact that rape can and often is claimed and many people will not trust in the testimony of the woman involved. Let's fix that! Passing on a movie about slaves revolting does nothing to prevent further rape, and does little to punish Nate Parker even. It simply sinks a film that is obviously causing a heap of fear in our media.

The conversation about these allegations starts with the possible victim and goes straight to the fact that many people believe not watching a film is actually taking steps to solving the broader issue. It isn't. It simply appeases your desire to say you care about something, when for 17 years, this was public information and we never brought it up. We all went to see Red Tails and nobody mentioned this. I was even thinking while reading the article, that Gabrielle Union signed on to this film and worked with Nate Parker for however many years, and had no idea that these allegations were even made. This information is on his Wikipedia page! Even people who worked for him didn't know about it. Was this information that important to us or them for all 17 years that Parker has been making films, or are we simply joining the lynch mob because some reporters told us to do so?

That is a genuine question that we should all ask ourselves. Once again, I have no answers and frankly have no authority to be speaking on rape at all as a cis male who has experienced no such circumstances and stands to benefit from the privileges of this sick rape culture. I am simply asking why so many people feel that boycotting the film is the end of the story. Are you really standing up for the victim by not seeing it, and more importantly was this information relevant to you for the past 17 years or are you conjuring up imitation dedication at the last minute? We SHOULD have known about this and judged Parker throughout his entire career and the fact that we didn't is appalling! I'm just as guilty of not looking into this sooner.

Gabrielle Union names Nate Parker only a few times in her article. She doesn't curse him or threaten him or the production. She explains what SHE can do about the issue which is rape culture and asks us all to do something as well. If Nate Parker did this, I pray he gets what is coming to him tenfold. Since we don't have a single fact on the matter,but are getting Facebook angry over a 17 year old story that some random news network brought up to tell us not to go see a movie, maybe we should actually go educate somebody or at the very, least stop ignoring the real problem and do something about THAT. Being mad on Facebook and staying home during the theatrical release just to catch it in Netflix or at a friend's house next year, while only taking a moment to grumble about how you stood up for what was right before pressing play, does nothing but serve your ability to look in the mirror and say, "I'm a good person."

I agree with and respect Gabrielle Union's words on the matter and urge you all to read it if you haven't already. I don't know if I'm going to see this movie or not. I do know that when I have a son, he will know what is right and what is wrong, and if he commits a crime of this nature, he will be severely dealt with by his father whether the justice system does its job correctly or not.