Kerry Washington on Her Searing Netflix Drama "American Son"

I felt some type of way when I left the screening to put it lightly amp160These issues are complex and the situations that create them are hard to swallow at best so facing them head on isnamp8217t exactly what most people would call fun amp160Regardless these conversations need to be had amp160Similar to Ava Duvernayamp8217s When They See Us which is also on Netflix American Son is about an incident between the police and a young black man named Jamal and the circumstances surrounding it told from the perspective of his parents amp160His mother Kendra Washington attempts to get assistance in locating her son from a lowlevel police officer named Larkin Jeremy Jordan to almost no avail amp160When her estranged husband Scott Pasquale finally arrives heamp8217s met with an outpouring of information from Larkin mainly because he mistook him for a superior of his that he had yet to meet but also because heamp8217s white and male and in law enforcement Scott is in the FBIThe questions that Larkin was asking Kendra about her son Does he have priors amp160A street name amp160Gold teeth were downright disrespectful and that was only the beginning of the film amp160These arenamp8217t the kind of questions Iamp8217d imagine a Caucasian mother getting asked in the same scenario amp160That perception of Jamal as a stereotype a thug based solely on his supposed appearance is not only indicative of what itamp8217s like to be black in these situations but also of what itamp8217s like to be the parent of a black child amp160We got a look at this type of trauma in When They See Us but in American Son makes that experience is the full focus amp160Washington delivers a gutwrenching and honest performance that truly captures the horrific anxiety and anguish caused by the very real fear of what could happen to her child simply because of the color of his skinDuring the postscreening talk back which functioned like a town hall and was moderated by Jocelyn Smith there was a panel that not only included Leon Washington and Pasquale but also activists DeAnna Hoskins president and CEO of JustLeadersUSA and Rashid Shabazz chief marketing and storytelling officer at Color of Change amp160Eric Garneramp8217s mother was also present as part of the audienceWhen asked about what initially drew her to the project Washington had this to sayamp160 amp8220I love that we get to really walk in the shoes of what itamp8217s like to be a black parent and if you are a black parent to me the play honors our experience as black parents amp160It allows us to see ourselves and to know that our fear our anxiety is justifiedamp160 In the choice to parent a black child is the inherent quality of vulnerability and while thatamp8217s true for all parents all parents are vulnerable when you are the parent of a black child there are systems in place that are invested in the demonization and destruction of your childamp8221To that same question Pasquale responded amp8220This really satisfied a need to work on something that feels important because history is told by our warriors and our leaders and our storytellers and when our warriors report to leaders who are corrupt it falls on the storytellers to hold a mirror up to us to show us what we areamp8221DemosBrown did an amazing job of writing a play that not only constantly shifted the power dynamic between the four people in it but also organically drew very clear pictures of where each characteramp8217s head was at and what their overall outlook on the situation was amp160Comparably Leon took that outstanding script and through well thought out blocking and clever camerawork all but erased the fact that 99 percent of it took place in just one room amp160Leon was also behind the decision to never actually show Jamal in the film in an effort to get viewers to put themselves in Kendra and Scottamp8217s respective shoes amp160amp8220Let Jamal be everybodyamp8217s kidamp8221 he saidamp160 amp8220What if this happened to your kidamp8221I believe the motivation for all involved with this project is to broaden the overall conversation beyond the stage which is a goal that being on Netflix will help them accomplish amp160Washington and Leon both expressed an appreciation for the streaming platformamp8217s reach and willingness to be an ally in this endeavorI personally struggle with a feeling of helplessness when processing these scenariosamp160 Thatamp8217s why I always walk out of these screenings with such a heavy heart angry mind and frustrated spirit amp160I mean look around man Eric Garner Tamir Rice Sandra Bland Freddie Gray Trayvon Martin Philando Castille Rekia Boyd Sean Bell amp8230 this is only a fraction of a list that shouldnamp8217t even exist let alone be as long as it is and it continues to grow every single dayI am black amp160So are my children amp160If nothing changes whatamp8217s to stop my name from ending up on this list or the name of one of my kidsSystemic bias is a serious issue and when dealing with armed law enforcement it can be a life or death one amp160God forbid you have cornrows or baggy clothes on amp160I donamp8217t know the true solution to this or any of the other issues mentioned but it starts with stuff like this amp160Thatamp8217s why these conversations need to happen more often and thatamp8217s why the world needs more productions like American Son and When They See Us because the system is definitely broken and understanding one anotheramp8217s plights is the first step towards finding solutionsAs Washington put it amp8220This isnamp8217t our imagination amp160Drop into the nightmare of it for a night with us amp160I dare you to spend 90 minutes walking in Kendraamp8217s shoes and then tell me weamp8217re overreactingamp8221American Sonamp160will be available on Netflix beginning November 1Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Kerry Washington on Her Searing Netflix Drama "American Son"

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Ainsley Andrade

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Kerry Washington on Her Searing Netflix Drama "American Son"

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Ainsley Andrade

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