With the new Emmitt Till movie in the works, the Hollywood industry is beginning to sound like a broken record. To the naked eye this production may seem like an opportunity to educate the broad public about a major event in Black history, but to me and others in the Black community, it’s a bit of a slap in the face.

On one hand the production of this film is going to cinematically bring a traumatic Black story to life, but that’s just it. Hollywood continues to capitalize off of Black trauma, and it’s not only performative but harmful to the Black community. The more we portray Black American trauma in the media in unproductive ways, the more limited of a view America has of my community. 

A better place for Emmit Till’s story is the classroom, in which American education is already at fault. Strides are continuously made toward the censorship of Black history in social studies classrooms, especially with the recent attacks and bans against the implementation of critical race theory.

All in all, we don’t need more Hollywood productions about Black trauma. We should receive this information through institutional education.

What we do need to see more of is Black joy. Producing and publicizing images of Black joy is what helps break the stigma surrounding my community. It’s what uplifts the image of Black people, promoting us from victims of our circumstances to the important members of society we are. 

Black joy is what makes a seat at the table for us by proving we aren’t a monolith and are capable of innovation and self sufficiency. We need more mainstream productions that depict our success and potential. No more harmful tropes or negative stereotypes.

The Black community has undoubtedly been through the most treacherous circumstances of modern history, and it’s important that it’s taught to us through the appropriate means. Hollywood needs to make the shift from profiting off of our trauma to uplifting our voices and displaying our pride.