BLACK LIVES MATTER

Actor-writer-activist Lena Waithe shares her thoughts on the vital ongoing protests.

LAST YEAR’S ACCLAIMED romantic drama Queen & Slim, which dealt head-on with police brutality and racism, has taken on profound relevance in the wake of worldwide protests following the killing of unarmed African American George Floyd. Its searing and thoughtful take on race and intersectionality is typical of its screenwriter Lena Waithe; since she first emerged a decade ago, she’s been both a groundbreaking writer (as well as Queen & Slim, she won an Emmy for her work on comedy-drama Master Of None) and in-demand actor (with roles in Ready Player One and Westworld). Empire caught up with her to discuss her reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the globe, and how she hopes it could lead to real change in Hollywood.

How have you personally been dealing with everything that’s been going on?

I think we’re all trying to figure out what our role is in the revolution. For me, it’s to keep voicing that there is an intersectionality when it comes to Black people and queer people. That they do not exist separately, that they can also exist in one body and they often do. I’ve also been giving money directly to Black protesters who were on the ground. Helping them pay their bills, their rent, gas money, groceries, whatever it may be. You know, I’m still writing all the time, because it is also a time for artists to pick up their pens, pick up their laptop, pick up their ipad and to tell stories.

There’s lots about Queen & Slim which rings even truer today. Have people reached out to say they’ve discovered or rewatched it?

I’ve definitely seen people have tagged me on Instagram and Twitter. I’ve also seen that the movie has popped up on a few lists. The truth is Black artists don’t wait for a revolution to tell the truth. We never have. And we tell these stories because we’re trying to — in a way — not just shock America but tell them that this is the country in which they live. You know, we’re not making these things up.

Great strife often leads to great art. Do you think this should lead to more art about Black joy, more hard-hitting fare, or both?

Both, absolutely. Because there could also be Black artists right now — and in my view they have this right — [who want] to write about everything but what’s happening in their world. I think that is true creative freedom. I tend to lean towards [hard-hitting] stories, but it’s not a prerequisite. Somebody could be writing a comedy right now. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about us raging against the machine, because a lot of us have written about that and maybe we want to write about something new.

Are you optimistic that the Black Lives Matter movement can lead to change, especially in Hollywood?

I do think change is coming because now people can’t get away with the same old shit. You just can’t. And I think that with Black Hollywood, particularly, we all talk together, we all know each other, we’ll see each other. We’re very activated. We’re all communicating with each other even more. But it is going to be a long road because there are definitely some places that aren’t making these changes anytime soon, and I think all we can do is provide a safe space for the few Black people that are in these spaces to speak up.

For years, Spike Lee has said that we need more Black people in the gatekeeper roles.

If we put up a picture of the heads of studios, streaming services, networks — that would not reflect America. And I think that is the harshest clue of reality that we can see. The people that literally control and determine what we as a nation see every day are white and male. That’s a very powerful thing.

#Oscarssowhite has continued to be an issue, but filmmaker Ava Duvernay has just been elected to the Academy’s Board of Governors. Hopefully that can push things in a better direction?

Yeah, absolutely. And we’re already starting to see that. I just hope that we figure that out. I’m not telling them to give anybody handouts. But at least judge us fairly. See our work. Amplify work. Because it does affect the bottom line. People say awards don’t matter. There are literally bonuses in your contract if you get nominated, if you win. It changes the way the industry looks at you and the way you move. Like it or not, you have a longer career if your work is acknowledged. I mean, I’m a prime example of that. Look at the difference in my story before and after I won an Emmy.

What can audiences do? How much do viewing choices shape things?

It’s all about supply and demand. And I think audiences should know they have a right to demand more from their entertainment. Black Twitter, online, people writing think-pieces, op-eds… they should continue to talk about and have dialogue about art. I really want to see more art that makes us squirm, more art that makes us uncomfortable. That’s what Do The Right Thing was for me. School Daze did that for me. Dear White People does that. We have to continue to make work that isn’t always easy for audiences. And I think audiences can go with us on these difficult journeys.