Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

- V V -■A-.’* -yy. Pariah: A Call to Action Margaret West Staff Writer Pariah; noun. One who is de spised or rejected: outcast. Merriam Webster defines each cousin, aunt, and uncle whose sexual orientation seems a little too ambiguous for our liking. We smile at them each family reunion, yet create the whispers and send the judg ment as they cower in embarrassment. Each family pushes the notion out of everyone’s minds that he or she might be gay. The Black community has bur ied homosexuality at the base of each family tree, but at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival Spike Lee and a team of talented actors and cinematographers have unearthed the struggle of Alike, a black lesbian living a double life in Brooklyn, New York. Pariah, the con temporary drama adapted from writer and director Dee Rees’ 2007 short film is projected to be in theaters Winter 2011. The film is filled with laughable moments and heart wrenching scenes that draw connections with the audi ence from any walk of life. She deals with issues as serious as coming out to a homophobic family, to the hilar ity of finding the right strap on for a “special” girl. The riveting choice of camera placement and lighting depict the change within Alike as she comes to terms with the truth of her sexuality and the disdain her mother has toward her lifestyle. Alike’s double life consists of frequent gay club visits and outfit changes that morph her into femininity and masculinity. An interesting facet of this film was the depiction of a func tional black family with both parents present and a father-daughter bond. Many filmmakers, black and white alike, have portrayed white families in a positive light and black families as irreparably torn. There was no broken, battered, home situation that spun Alike into an “alternative lifestyle”, but a father who affirmed her, loved her unconditionally, and did not subject her to abuse of any kind. Alike is subjected to the whims of experimentation throughout the whole movie, forcing her to look in side of herself for conformation of her worth and sexuality. Each female en counter she has is with a woman who is “curious” about the other team. In one scene, she overhears a girl in the hallway saying she’s not gay, but she wouldn’t mind “trying one out”, and mentions her fancy toward Alike. The bond, and break, of genuine friend ships is a rollercoaster for Alike, as she hangs with Laura, who introduced to the gay scene, and Bena, a friend forced on her by her homophobic mother who turns out to be a match and Alike’s first heartbreak. The tumultuous rela tionships Alike has with women strike an interesting juxtaposition between her sexuality and her excellent relation ship with her father. Alike’s character connects with the audience through her enthralling poetic ability. Her poems challenge her to come to grips with the reality of who she is and who accepts her, and allows the audience to understand what goes on in the mind of a closeted lesbian in a black homophobic family. Pariah is a film that brings a mirror to viewers, challenging him or her to face their fears and let the truth rise to the sur face. Reed Between the Lines: The New Black (Entertainment) Hope? Marjani Hall After the debut of Black Enter tainment Television’s (BET) new show, Reed Between the Lines, there was little doubt in my mind that there was hope for BET and all black people who devoutly watch its programs. I have always been skeptical of BET, only tun ing in to watch the Color Purple, Baby Boy, the occasional Girlfriends re-run on Saturdays, and the BET Awards every year. Since last years dreadful at tempt of re-vamping one of my favorite shows, The Game, to its sitcom line-up, I had totally lost all faith in anything and everything BET. To me, Black Entertainment Television meant low-budget, bad scripts, and terrible acting. But then Joan from Girlfriends finally got mar ried to Theo Huxtable- and by that I mean Tracee Ellis Ross is cast as Dr. Carla Reed, and Malcolm Jamal- Warner is Dr. Alex Reed. The two are a couple with three adorable and ex tremely smart children. On the verge of sounding like your typical Generation Z kid, the show could be classified as the new-age Cosby Show. It is a show representing the beauty of the Black Family in a positive light, “like ‘Cosby,’ ‘Reed Between the Lines’ is not [just] about a Black family but about a family that happens to be Black”, Malcolm Jamal-Warner stated during an interview with Essence Magazine. This show is the only show I have seen, since ‘Cosby’ that depicts Black love as what it should be, some thing true, joyful, and supportive. Although there are comical scenarios and tiffs between Warner and Ross as husband and wife, it is evident that there is real love present. And what is more beautiful than Black love? Unfortunately, when I ask people if they watch the show, (which airs ev ery Tuesday at 9pm) most, if not all, are silent. I understand why people would initially shy away from a BET-network production. For instance, “Lets Stay Together” is the absolute worst show I have never watched. But with such sea soned actors like Ross and Warner, that we grew up watching grow up, how can we not give this show a chance? Name another show that de picts Black women. Yes, there are quite a few, such as Basketball Wives, Bad Girls Club, and Real Housewives of Atlanta. But how many actually portray black women as poised? Proper? Well spoken? With positive attitudes and civil personalities? None, not even ‘The Game’ shows black women in non stereotypical roles. Look at Tasha Mac, from ‘The Game’; she is a prime ex ample of the loud, ghetto, Sapphire that we have been portrayed as for decades. Watching and supporting Reed Between the Lines allows us to step away from the reaffirmation of Black stereotypes in the media. It allows us to Cl let the representation of educated, ac- mail complished, loving and thoughtful blacks Spotlight Staff prevail on primetime television. 350 Spelman Lane> Box 1234 Atlanta, GA 30314 Albert E. Manley College Center Tristin Travis i Since 2006 BLACK GIRLS ROCK Inc. has been dedicated to the promotion of the healthy development of young wom en and girls. The incorporation founded by Beverly Bond teamed up with BET to broadcast the 2nd Annual televised Award show “Black Girls Rock”. This year hosted by Tracey Ellis Ross and Regina King, Black Girls Rock was a success! Filmed in New York at the Historic Paradise Theater, these women really reached their goal of reaching out to a global audience. Edi tor and Chief and Executive Editor of the Spelman Spotlight, Kirstin Evans and Kelly Harper had the opportunity to attend the taping of the show. They found their ex perience inspiring and unforgettable. The show promoted the strength and beauty of black women. Black Girls Rock, Inc is a non- profit youth empowerment and mentoring program established to promote the arts for young women of color, while also acknowledging talents in dialogue and analysis of the ways women of color are portrayed in the media. S.K.I.R.T.S (Sister keeping it real through service) is dedicated to commu nity service outreach as well as catering to young women in underserved com munities. As they seek to conduct work shops they pulled from outside programs and ideas to host Spelmans version of “Black Girl Rock” based on the popular BET award show. With performances and discussion-based panels, Spelmans ver sion of Black Girls Rock held in The Sci ence center was an innovative way to reach out to students and faculty. Bringing back some Spelman alum to speak on the beauty of women in society today was a wonder ful way to bring everything into perspec tive for current students. Looking forward to next years event the feedback from the event was immaculate. Tracee Ellis Rosss and Malcolm Jamal on the set of “Reed Between the Lines” Morehouse Alumni, Spike Lee’s Current film, Pariah. Write for the Spelman Spotlight or Contribute any articles? Please Contact: Kirstin C. Evans Editor in Chief via: kevansl4@sc- mail.spelman.edu