In a time when racists and homophobes have been empowered by the recent election of fellow racist Donald Trump, proper representation of marginalized experiences in art have gained increased importance in how we perceive and empathize with others. The sharing of experiences through art helps with consciousness-raising and the spreading of knowledge among those of different experiences. An example of this is the recently released film Moonlight, written and directed by Barry Jenkins and based on a story by Tarrell Alvin McCraney, which bitchmedia correspondent Nijla Mu’min covered in a recent article. In this article, Mu’min discusses the cultural and political influence of Moonlight in our current social and political climate. In regards to …show more content…
What Mu’min is saying here is that it’s not abnormal to see Black men humanized, but that humanization is even more important in our current political landscape, where white supremacists feel more empowered by their racist beliefs thanks to the election of Trump. Right now, proper and positive representation of Black experiences and identity in art is extremely important both in connecting and empowering Black communities and in normalizing Black identity and deconstructing stereotypes that are perpetuated by lack of proper representation. In response to whether or not Moonlight can perform well on it’s own outside of queer and Black audiences, Mu’min writes, “and yet, when I read about whether Moonlight can play well outside of an urban or arthouse audience, I feel like an essential point is being missed. This is not a film that can be easily categorized and labeled. It is undoubtedly a Black film, but it’s not only for Black people or for gay