By Ricky Clemons
It’s no secret that the American movie business has a protracted and unstable historical past on racial points. From fostering racist tropes and stereotypes, to underrepresenting minorities — each in entrance of and behind the lens — to whitewashing historic occasions in movies from “The Beginning of a Nation” to “Inexperienced E book,” Hollywood has all the time struggled to appropriately painting the Black expertise in the US.
This is the reason it mustn’t shock anybody to listen to that former NBA star and activist Craig Hodges is locked in a brand new dispute over a documentary on his life with Hollywood executives and producers. The previous Chicago Bull, who helped the franchise win two of their six championships within the Nineteen Nineties and was a vocal advocate for Black rights, is at the moment battling over the rights to his e book “Lengthy Shot: The Triumphs and Struggles of an NBA Freedom Fighter” with Wayfarer Studios, the manufacturing firm run by actor Justin Baldoni and billionaire Steve Sarowitz.
Whereas the small print are dense, the matter will be boiled right down to the truth that a Black man is as soon as once more preventing to inform his personal story in the way in which that he sees match. Hodges – who I’ll remind you is the topic of the documentary – desires British-Indian producer Jivi Singh to inform his story, however Baldoni and Wayfarer allegedly wished one other director to make Hodges’ story extra “palatable” for the NBA.
That’s the place the difficulty begins. Variations of this type are typical of Hollywood – however they’re additionally typical of the historic Hollywood expertise for Black folks total and the story of Hodges’ personal life.
Keep in mind, Hodges has lengthy felt that the NBA blackballed him for his political activism and willingness to criticize his teammates for perceived inactivity on social points. Even dropping his livelihood didn’t trigger him to again down from his ideas, so Hodges absolutely anticipated that the executives on the manufacturing firm that wished to doc his story wouldn’t disguise behind identification politics because it softened its core messages.
The implications of Hodges’ dispute with Wayfarer are indicative of a bigger, systemic subject within the movie business. It displays broader patterns of exploitation which have traditionally plagued Hollywood. Comparable cases will be discovered throughout the business, the place Black artists are sometimes sidelined, or their contributions diminished. Media moguls play a major function in perpetuating these points, with energy dynamics that prioritize revenue over authenticity.
As Craig Detweiler, professor of movie historical past at Pepperdine College, mentioned in 2015, “There are a scarcity of African American, Asian and Latino stars. For all Hollywood’s progressive politics, its casting selections look remarkably retrograde.”
It’s not simply casting, nonetheless, as Hodges’ dispute with Wayfarer clearly signifies. From producing to directing to deciding on inventive imaginative and prescient to upholding a mission’s final imaginative and prescient, Black and brown folks in Hollywood are constantly being overruled and written out of the method – with implications for us all, as who shapes and guides tales can essentially alter the top outcomes and the way in which essential tales are informed.
Transferring ahead, it’s essential to advocate for equitable partnerships inside the media panorama. This consists of reforming contracts to make sure honest illustration and artistic management for Black artists, particularly in relation to their very own tales. Supporting Black creatives and their tales is crucial for fostering a extra inclusive and trustworthy portrayal of their experiences.
Lastly, the battle of Craig Hodges in opposition to Wayfarer Studios is a reminder that the lengthy historical past of exploitation continues to demand our consideration. To impact significant change, readers and business stakeholders should advocate for systemic reform and decide to supporting genuine narratives created by Black artists.
Ricky Clemons is an adjunct lecturer educating sports activities administration and media at Howard College.
