For Colored Girls; Kudos To Tyler Perry

On Saturday I saw "For Colored Girls" with 9 other women of varying ages. I left the theater feeling very overwhelmed. I think I had a headache (smile). I pondered that it was so much pain in such a short span of time, a two hour movie... I had to remind myself of the complete title of Ntozake Shange's work, "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf". Of course I had a headache and was feeling overwhelmed... OK, so we proceed to lunch to do what intelligent Black women do, debrief and critique... Overall the consensus was that Mr. Tyler did a Phenomenal Job! He successfully captured the soul of Ms. Shange's poems and the subsequent play. He adequately captured the spirit of her work and put it on the big screen. One woman who had seen the Broadway play and read the book, opined that his work was "damn near perfect". I was too young to see the play, but there is no denying the level of progression in the quality of Mr. Perry's work. Good For Him!!!

I left the theater thinking of a former Black female college professor who years ago told me she would not see movies or read books that depict Black folks in a negative way. This was in the 90's on the heels of The Color Purple, Toni Morrison and Terri McMillan was blowing up. She critiqued that our experience was so much more than doom and gloom and that not all of us had been molested or had such horrific experiences at the hands of Black men in our lives... She wanted balance that we are SO much more... I left the theater being reminded of her words and knowing that our Brothas would be angry and echo her view regarding this movie. Only one Black male was depicted in a positive light. But as a friend shared, consider the context of the poems and the play and the time in which they were offered, the 70's. She continued that the work was written BY a woman, FOR women...

The immediate lesson for me following the movie was an affirmation that as WOMEN we need to stick together and support one another. Stop with the petty jealousy, competitiveness, and small minded BS that I call silly "GIRL" stuff. Tyler appropriately ends the movie depicting the WOMEN coming together in strength. We need to do more of that.

Conversely, the movie affirmed for me that our MEN need to be sensitive to the very REAL pain that they [can] cause us... NOT ALL MEN but far too many of them. Black male writers are blogging and criticizing Tyler Perry for not offering balance in this movie. They are bothered that he added to the negative depiction of Black men. As I posted on one of the blog sites, this is but one of Mr. Perry's works. He has done his fair share of also promoting Black men in a positive light; Daddy's Little Girl, his role in Why Did I Get Married and I am sure there are more. I don't like all of TP's work but when a Brotha' gets it right, give the man his props!

The fact that the movie peaked this discussion is confirmation that Tyler hit the mark. The fact that these painful realities still resonate in our community some 30+ years later speaks volumes and suggests that we've got some healing to do. Not talking about and/or confronting our pain does not make it any less true or any less painful. Sadly, some aspect of For Colored Girls IS reality for far too many girls of all hues... I say let the healing begin and I urge that Sistahs step aside and let our Brothas lead the way. Black Women Hurt Too...

I'm Just Sayin'...