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'Dear White People' Actor Calls Out Broadway's Racism In Powerful Video About The 'Horrific Treatment' He's Experienced
This has no doubt been an exhausting and incredibly difficult week for people of color across the country.
The protests over George Floyd will not be stopping any time soon. Many people of color are making their experiences with racism known.
Griffin Matthews, an actor, writer and producer from the acclaimed Netflix series Dear White People unapologetically added Broadway to the national conversation in a seven minute long video recalling his experiences with racism in the entertainment industry.
Matthews' video pulls from Amy Cooper, the white, liberal woman who unnecessarily called police on Christian Cooper in Central Park while he was birdwatching, to create a strong metaphor for a black person's experience every single day in the throes of a Broadway career.
Matthews went through several pieces of racist mistreatment and racist events he was witness to over the years, such as seeing a major White director comment on an actress's Blackness level, a White producer saying "slavery is over, no one wants to hear about that" and being forced to edit his experience as told through an off-broadway piece to make a White producer more comfortable.
He concludes that Broadway will somehow make stars of all its Amy Coopers, but that he may never make it to Broadway for speaking out about the racism he's been on the receiving end of.
Other Broadway actors were quick to come and show their support.
Holy hell. Well if you want you're art to soar, I'll be here to play. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 fuck Amy Cooper and all the like.
— Jon Rua (@JonRua) June 2, 2020
I may have waited 37 years to hear just this. Very well put.
— Cornelius White (@Corneliuswhite) June 2, 2020
I *HATE* @BookofMormon with a bloody passion. Can't stand it. I also hate @DearEvanHansen for many reasons too. Thank u sir. 💜
— ilse ceumann (@ilsec1591) June 2, 2020
Every time I think I couldn't possibly admire you more than I already do, you prove me wrong ❤️
— Stephanie Cohen (@spcohen92) June 2, 2020
The most powerful indictment of theatre I have ever seen. Thank you, thank you, thank you @GriffinsThread. Must watch. Must. Watch. #BroadwayisRacist https://t.co/Zl9iKO1sUR
— Ryan J. Haddad (@RyanJHaddad) June 2, 2020
Folks are also expressing fear and the need to protect actors like Griffin Matthews and John Boyega, who were calling out anti-Blackness in their industries, from being disinvited to the table for work following speaking out on their experiences.
John Boyega at the #BlackLivesMatter protests in London ✊🏾
'I'm speaking to you from my heart. Look, I don't know if I'm going to have a career after this, but fuck that' pic.twitter.com/ZMxpAYLQvA
— Culture Crave 🎥 (@CultureCrave) June 3, 2020
I would love to work w John Boyega https://t.co/zQTIP29SVR
— Cathy Yan (@CathyYan) June 3, 2020
I can't imagine respecting or admiring a single cast member from star wars more than John Boyega. The fact that he's aware of the job ending risk he's taking just to fight systemic racism and support BLM on the front lines is so fucking powerful. He honestly deserves everything. pic.twitter.com/4jg6V8aKX9
— Shaun|BLM (@Shaundalorian) June 3, 2020
This is cool, and @JohnBoyega is wonderful, but I'm never gonna forget how Lucasfilm left him and Kelly Marie Tran out to dry when the racists came for them in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, then basically cut them out of the movie in 2019. https://t.co/J3O5zMyj0p
— Shane Liesegang, SJ (@OptimistPanda) June 4, 2020
i'm dropping everyone and turning in to a john boyega stan account pic.twitter.com/bX9qk3fXrc
— boyega hive (@kailisace) June 3, 2020
The #BroadwayIsRacist hashtag is also gaining quite a bit of traction.
As the curtain continues to be drawn back on American institutions, we will see how deep the need for complete and total restructuring of the system is.