don't ask me to be your coretta.
a few thoughts on diminishing coretta scott king's legacy + reads and vibes for your weekend.
Are you over the Katt Williams interview yet or nah? Yeah, me too.
Happy New Year, by the way!
So much has transpired since we last chatted, so let’s jump right in.
thoughts at large.
I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t know why Jonathan Majors sat for an interview this week, but he did. After being convicted of misdemeanor assault and being unceremoniously released from his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he talked with ABC’s Linsey Davis about the ordeal. It was… for lack of a better word, a mess.
If you don’t have the 17 minutes to watch the whole thing:
He took no accountability for physically harming his ex, Grace Jabbari. He only admitted to being careless with her heart. 🙃
He was shocked when the verdict came back the way it did.
He thinks his career will be fine.
He calls Megan Good, his new girlfriend, his angel & his “Coretta.”
And this is where I want to lean in today. The “Coretta” he’s referring to is the late Coretta Scott King, who is most widely known as the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
During Major’s trial, audio recorded by his ex was entered as evidence. In it, he suggested that she (a white woman) be more like Coretta Scott King because he is an important (Black) man.
I really think that Jonathan has a fixation with the civil rights era Jim Crow South, and may be taking his method acting a bit too far. Besides the fact that he insists on dressing like a sharecropper, the idea that he would have the gall to compare himself to Martin Luther King, Jr. is completely unhinged. Not only was his request strange and narcissistic, but it also minimized the legacy of a woman who was much more than a supporting character.
Coretta Scott King was a world-class musician, author, and activist on her own accord before her marriage. And yes, she was by Dr. King’s side supporting him as he led a movement that would impact the entire world, but she also had her own role in the fight and carried on his legacy long after he was murdered. Dr. King even spoke to how much he learned from her in preparing to lead. Reducing her to a ride-or-die chick, or a meek and mild doormat is not only ahistorical but also flat-out disrespectful.
The part that bothers me most, is that some men see nothing wrong with this type of erasure. They assert that a woman’s goal should be to support a man and his vision. That they couldn’t possibly have one of their own, and if they somehow manage to, it should take a backseat to whatever he has going on. As a woman who lives a full life and has accomplished a lot in my single season, I would hate to hear that my relationship with a man overshadowed everything else I had done in my life, no matter how great it was.
I believe that women, just like men, were designed for a purpose, and that each of us has a mission in life. And to be very clear, I will never ever minimize women who choose to become homemakers. I commend any woman who takes on the sacrificial calling of caring for her husband and children.
We all have roles to play in life. If that includes being a wife and mother, that is amazing. If it doesn’t involve being a wife or mother, that is also amazing. With that said, my value as a woman will not be diminished if I’m not partnered. And while marriage is beautiful, I don’t count it as an accomplishment. It’s a decision, an agreement, and one that not everyone will make.
So no, don’t ask me to be your Coretta if you’re looking for a trophy or an accessory. Because just like Coretta, my worth and value extend far beyond your limited view and understanding.
Essential reading: Coretta Scott King and the Civil-Rights Movement’s Hidden Women [via The Atlantic]
need you to know.
A 60ft. Tunnel was discovered beneath one of the most prominent synagogues in New York City, and 9 of the people who dug it were arrested after a scuffle with police. [Read More]
South Africa is suing Israel at the World Court accusing the country of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. [Read More]
Organizers interrupted President Biden’s campaign speech at Mother Emmanuel A.M.E. in South Carolina earlier this week to call for a cease-fire in Gaza. They’ve since released a list of demands. [Read More]
sad story from Jackson, MS where families were shocked to find their loved ones had been buried in a mass grave. [Read Here]
reads + vibes.
Solange is on the way back. She announced a 4 act presentation called “In Service To Whom” which features music, design, visual art, and cultural archive in one performance. No details yet on when it will be released, but get excited! [Read Here]
The Internet might be coming back to our headphones in 2024. The band’s last album Hive Mind was released in 2018, and fans (especially me) have been anxiously awaiting their return since then. They dropped this cryptic post this week on IG leading me to believe they are back in the studio.
The exhibit Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys opens February 10th at the Brooklyn Museum. I’m ready to book my ticket to go see it. You know I’m a museum girlie. Let me know if you want to come with me. [Read Here + Grab Tix]
Angela Bassett finally got her (honorary)Academy Award. It was a Governor’s Award for lifetime achievement. I personally feel like it’s a consolation prize for all of the times the Academy played in her face. I loved that Regina King got to present the award to her. You can watch her entire speech here:
SAG Award nominations dropped this week. A few highlights - Issa Rae is double nominated for her roles in American Fiction and Barbie, respectively. Sterling K. Brown, Danielle Brooks, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ayo Adebiri, and Quinta Brunson also picked up nominations. [Read More]
Regina Hall is starring opposite Leonardo DiCaprio & Sean Penn in a yet-to-be-named movie that begins filming this month. Can’t wait to see it, because Regina Hall is one of my favorite actresses. [Read More]
Since American Fiction opens wide this week, I’m sharing this feature in NYT on the film’s director Cord Jefferson. Trust me when I say it’s worth the read [Read Here]
Regina King is playing Shirley Chisolm in a new Netflix film. “Shirley” premieres on March 22nd. Watch the first-look trailer here.
NatGeo’s Genius series next focuses on Dr. King and Malcolm X. “MLK/X” produced and developed by Reggie Bythewood and Gina Prince Bythewood premieres on February 1.
“Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” is available now on HBOMax. Narrated by Taraji P. Henson, this documentary follows the legendary poet’s rise to fame. You can watch the trailer below:
“The Book of Clarence” is out exclusively in theaters today. I listened to a Twitter Space last night in which Jay-Z and Jaymes Samuel, the film’s creator, were interviewed by Gia Peppers. It helped add a bit of context to what I saw in the trailer and I’m now interested in seeing the film. You can listen to the recorded conversation here.
That’s all for this week friend. I hope you have a great weekend, and that you don’t use a sanitized version of Dr. King’s legacy to defend any pseudo-DEI activities. 🙃
Love you, mean it.
