Words by DeWayne Rogers
Images by Dave Ellis for Steed Media Service
The pace of the entertainment world can be maddening when you’re on top. Take this picture — sign this autograph — do this interview — and smile and be gracious the entire time. As the orders continue to rain down from a trusted set of “handlers,” it becomes increasingly difficult to feel any sense of control over one’s career. Initially, the time spent with Jennifer Hudson for this interview seemed to unequivocally endorse this assertion regarding the inner workings of the entertainment industry.
“What are we about to talk about today, the movie or my album?” the Oscar-winner inquires while searching for a comfortable position in her seat. “I hope you don’t think I’m crazy for asking that, but sometimes it’s hard to keep track of what I’m doing. They have me all over the place, so the interviews start to blend together.”
“We’re here to talk about your role in The Secret Life of Bees,” I replied. “But I’m sure we’ll talk about everything before we finish.”
“Oh good,” she said with a sigh. “The promotion for this movie has actually been a breath of fresh air for me. For the past few weeks, all I’ve been doing is promoting my album, so switching gears is just what I need. I’m ready to get started whenever you are.”
THE COMPELLING BACK STORY
click here to view this movie trailer
1964 – TIBURON, S.C. The nation, much like today, was filled with social and racial strife. Yet there was still one place that remained impervious to the strident voices of racism in the segregated South. That place was the Boatwright estate. On those grounds an African American woman by the name of August Boatwright insulated herself from a hateful world by using her home as a safe haven to spread the principles of strong spirituality, entrepreneurialism and solid family values to all who sought as much. **The previous description was inspired by the brilliant work of New York Times best bestselling author Sue Monk Kidd, and serves as the backdrop for the upcoming Fox Searchlight release The Secret Life of Bees. The film, though fictional, provides a useful segue into a deeper discussion of America’s perception of black women.
TWO KINDS OF BLACK WOMEN
“Barack Obama will never win the presidency as long as he has a black wife.” –Chris Rock on his HBO special, “Kill the Messenger.”
I’m 200 percent certain that Rock’s revelation during his latest HBO special was spoken in jest. But his words do open the door to a more complex debate. So what exactly is America’s perception of the black woman? If you listen to Rock’s diatribe, then a black woman is a bossy know-it-all who doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut.
Whether you agree or disagree with Rock’s assertion, the view of black women isn’t so cut and dry in The Secret Life of Bees film. Two starkly different personality types are prominently on display. On the one hand, there is Hudson’s character Rosaleen Daise, a subservient, angry, and largely uneducated black woman. But the imagery evoked by Rosaleen is in direct contrast to the stronger images of black womanhood presented by the Boatwright sisters, played by Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okenedo. The sisters are empowered, educated, cultured entrepreneurs — in other words, the polar opposite of black women commonly highlighted during that time period.
When probed, Hudson shared that the latter example deserved a more prominent place in the greater discussion on black women. “I think it was important to see the examples of black women that were played by Queen, Alicia and Sophie,” Hudson replies when asked to compare the two character types. “You see too much of the angry black woman on TV. Even back then, there were educated black businesswomen that were very successful. They were driven, educated, cultured … nothing like my character. It’s a shame that even today, we still don’t have as many positive examples of black women for people to see.”
THE CHOSEN FEW
Forty minutes later, with a blanket wrapped around her waist in an effort to battle the chill of the hotel suite, Hudson took another sip of her hot tea, and cast a contemplative gaze out of her 19th story window. According to Hudson, each day brings a greater sense of that calling.
“People are always coming up to me, and telling me that I inspire them and make them feel good about themselves,” she shares, seemingly mystified by such an occurrence. “But I enjoy listening to their stories, because it helps me to learn things about myself. Women tell me that they love my confidence, but then I look at myself and wonder, ‘I have confidence? Really?’ So having them see it in me, allows me to see it even more within myself. So they help me just as much as I seem to help them.”
Those warm feelings aside, Hudson also understands that her calling extends far beyond a mutual exchange of pleasantries with an adoring fan base. It’s much deeper, and her responsibility in turn, is much greater. “I realized a long time ago that it’s not about the fortune or the fame,” she shares. “But if I’m able to make a difference, or help someone increase their faith, then to me that’s what it’s all about. It’s not many of us that are chosen to be in this position.”
A closer look at the talent assembled for The Secret Life of Bees speaks to a group long familiar with the responsibilities that come along with being a part of the “chosen few.” There’s Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Dakota Fanning — wait — Dakota Fanning? Isn’t she barely pubescent? Surely she can’t understand the power and influence that she and her cast mates wield as industry titans. But that’s not the way Hudson sees it.
“She is such a grown woman,” Hudson states in a tone filled with both disbelief and admiration. “I swear she’s been here before, because she totally gets it. You always hear these stories about kids getting crazy and losing their minds once they get famous. But not Dakota. I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about her having any of the problems that you see other people have. She has a great family, and a good sense of who she is as a person. I’m almost jealous, because I wish I [had been] that mature when I was her age.”
To her credit, Fanning deflected Hudson’s praise, instead using the opportunity to laud the efforts of her cast mates on this monumental undertaking. “I feel very fortunate to be a part of this film,” she expresses with a glowing smile. “The story is so beautiful, and I even cried a couple of times when I watched it for the first time.”
When pressed for her own personal encounters on the other side of racism, Fanning was quick to point out, “I’ve never personally witnessed racism, but I know that it’s real, and I hate that some people still think that way. But thankfully, I have never had anyone in my life that has ever expressed that kind of hate, and I hope that I never will.”
LET’S TALK ABOUT RACISM IN AMERICA
The discussion of race in America was certainly highlighted, but was far from the central theme in The Secret Life of Bees. By allowing race relations to serve as a sub-plot instead of the crux of the film, perhaps the message of racial injustice became more palatable for all races to accept. That hasn’t always been the case though, filmmakers have traditionally discussed race in a more pointed manner. Below are some of the more prominent examples.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin –1987 Avery Brooks, Phylicia Rashad
Glory – 1989 Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman
Rosewood – 1997 Ving Rhames
The Long Walk Home – 1990 Whoopi Goldberg
Ernest Green Story – 1993 Morris Chestnut
Mississippi Burning – 1989 Gene Hackman
HISTORY WITHIN HER SIGHTS
With the release of her self-titled debut album, Jennifer Hudson stands on the verge of completing the final leg of a historical run. Having already won an Academy Award for her work in Dreamgirls, Hudson stands to join the illustrious ranks of accomplished entertainers who have won both a Grammy and an Oscar.
THE DUAL WINNERS: FRANK SINATRA • RITA MORENO • RICHARD ROGERS • MIKE NICHOLS • BARBARA STREISAND • MARVIN HAMLISCH • HELEN HAYES • JOHN GIELGUD • CHER • JONATHAN TUNICK • WHOOPI GOLDBERG (the only African American to win both awards) • ROBIN WILLIAMS • MEL BROOKS
