With the movie The Hate U Give coming out this Friday, I’ve noticed that directors of movies choose lighter skinned actors and actresses to play their lead roles. The few times that darker skinned actresses are seen in major roles is when they are used in Africa based films like The Help or  12 Years a Slave. 

The fact that black actresses and actors are pushed to the sideline is beginning to infuriate me. Dark actresses and actors are just as capable as everyone else. Giving the role to an actress with dark skin will not automatically turn away any and every non person of color.

The fact that there is such a large turn out to movies with dark actors and actresses makes me think that the directors aren’t just looking at ways to keep the money flowing, it sadly comes down to directors being afraid to cast darker skin people, because of their traditional point of views. Many movies would thrive if even one person of color would appear in a movie.

In Gods of Egypt, the lead actors and actresses were white. Now the last time I checked, people in ancient Egypt weren’t white. They had melanin in their skin and braids in their hair. Casting white people instead of culturally accurate people seems to be a theme throughout the movie industry.

The fact that Black actors and actresses can no longer do their jobs is disheartening to every black parent hoping for a dark influencer to be a character their kids can look up to. Having the ability to see yourself in a role of power or wisdom is something every child should have the privilege of having. With the great success of Black Panther, you would think that directors would be more willing to expand their person of color ratios, but I’m hoping for a change in the next few years.