Black actor Jeffery Wright made a recent appearance at the Black Writers Conference Symposium for the legendary playwright August Wilson.

While he definitely had some powerful things to say about Wilson, which included that “there’s not going to be another August Wilson anytime soon,” what he had to say about Black cinema was very profound…

He reveals that Black cinema actually doesn’t exist. Why? Because African-Americans don’t have the power to tell their own stories. One of the reasons is due to the fact that we don’t control our own resources.

“The issue for all Black artists is who controls the resources that allow for the work to happen. It’s said that who controls the resources controls the story. What we have to improve on is claiming our own identity – our own story. And capitalizing.”

Progressing further in his observation, Wright says that the lack of financing contributes to the lack of Black cinema:

“From an actor’s perspective, (or film perspective), I don’t really see any Black cinema. Because there’s no African-American financing that’s equal to the potential among writers, directors, and actors. There is no circle that can be drawn to define an African American cinema. We’re probably one of the few cultures in the world who don’t have a firm grip on our own cultural output in that way. And yet, its the most compelling output in the world.”

What if we had control of our own resources? Would we as Black people be able to differentiate ourselves from White cinema? Or would we continue to identify with the stereotypes displayed by the media and Hollywood? Personally, I would hope that if we were in control of our own resources, our stories would be more than just another depiction of either slavery or living in crime-infested ghettos thugging it out.

Check out the video below and share your thoughts.