Dark Girls: The Story of Color, Gender and Race

Saturday November 19, 2011 at The Fox theatre in downtown Atlanta, GA Actor/Director/producer Bill Duke and Writer/Producer/Director  D.Channsin Berry premiered the highly anticipated documentary  DARK GIRLS : The Story of Color , Gender and Race . The auditorium was filled with thousands of guests including director/actress Jasmine Guy, Kalenna (Diddy/Dirty Money)Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter  Crystal Nicole, Jaquitta Williams (CBS-Atlanta) famed poet Hank Stewart; who wowed the audience with his poem entitled “Chocolate,” along with notables from the film community.

 Dark Girls was an emotional journey offering a candid glimpse into the stigmas and hurt that women with darker skin tones often encounter, regardless of age,background or culture.  The film covered the many facets of intra-racial prejudice, including emotional and physical abuse from loved ones and peers.  The piece also touched on the perceptions that have been placed on darker women by men from their own race juxtaposed against perceptions from men outside of their race. The film showed a consistent thread from adolescence to adulthood, with darker skinned women being made to feel they were less than, weren’t beautiful or intelligent because of the melanin in their skin. "I've experienced alot of what is in the film, still it was eye-opening to see that others had that same experience. Its something that we feel almost ashamed to talk about. This film was definitely needed, and the discussion needs to continue for the younger generation," Crystal Nicole says.

The brief Q&A after the premiere turned emotional as numerous participants thanked both Duke and Berry for producing the film. When asked why they produced Dark Girls, Duke and Berry both quoted their own family experiences and commitment to community as motivation for the film. Duke and Berry mentioned their follow up project; “The Yellow Brick Road” that will address issues of color in fairer skinned women, which is currently in production.

For more information visit: www.officialdarkgirlsmovie.com

 

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.