Written and directed by Justin Simien, Dear White People follows four black college students through their trials as, just like the poster says, "a black face in a white place," challenging conventional notions of what it means to be black. Sam White (Tessa Thompson), a biracial woman, talks on her radio show "Dear White People" about different aggressions against Black people she sees around campus in hopes of educating the White students of Winchester University, but she struggles with her identity in choosing between her "blackness" and her "whiteness." Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams), a gay man, tries to find his place at Winchester, for he feels that he is either not "gay" enough for the gay community and not "Black" enough for the the Black community. Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P Bell), a Winchester legacy and the Dean's (Dennis Haysbert) son, suffers from the expectations set by his father to be successful and to prove they are not the stereotype, so that he can compete with his father's rival's children. Colandrea "Coco" Connors (Teyonah Parris) has come to prestigious Winchester to escape her "ghetto" roots, but seems to be pulled back into the stereotype as she strives for fame.
Now, if you were expecting some revolutionary, progressive, epiphany-causing movie, you will sadly be disappointed. The small "shift" is the lesson that there is diversity within the Black community, contrary to popular stereotypical belief. It shines light on the many microagressions students of color face on predominantly white campuses and how they cope, by either ignoring these insults or striving to be different than their peers' preconceived ideas of what "blackness" is. This movie is the first step. This is a type of movie, that in and of itself, has not been shown on mainstream movie theaters previously. Many movies that are deemed "Black" movies only show stories of how they relate to Black communities, not how Black stories interrelate with White ones. As a Sociology major and an avid learner of race issues, yes, many of the things discussed in the movie, I have already learned about. The lessons in this movie were not made for me, nor other people of color who are very aware of the discrimination around them. The lessons were made for White people who are completely oblivious to the struggles faced by people different than them. This movie is like their "Race 101," so to speak. But let's be real, those who need to watch this movie, most likely won't watch this movie, and those who know about these issues are the ones who will most likely see this movie. In the theater I watched it in, my room was full of people of people of color, and I saw three White people. But for the fact that this type of movie has been shown in mainstream theaters is the first step to allow for normalization that will eventually break down the current stereotype.
I fully enjoyed this movie. I laughed. I cried. And I became extremely uncomfortable that I was forced to cringe in my seat. A movie has definitely done it's job if it can connect with its audience to make them feel a plethora of emotions. If you are passionate about issues of race, go watch this movie. If you know nothing about race issues, go watch this movie. If you like satirical comedy, go watch this movie.
