‘Dear White People’ film premieres today in theaters nation wide. Tessa Thompson plays ‘Samantha White’ ; a student activist whose the host of a provocative radio show entitled: ‘Dear White People’
“ Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris and Brandon P. Bell star as four black Ivy League college students navigating the often-treacherous waters of contemporary campus race relations.”
Earlier today the actress spoke with Greg Kelly & Roseanna on ‘Good Morning America’ about the film, its underlying message, and more.
On The Comparison Of This Film To Previous Spike Films:
” Sure, Spike Lee made films 25 years ago where he explored racial dynamics between people so I guess that’s where the parallel comes in . Our writer director, Justin Simien is a huge Spike Lee fan but it’s a different movie and it has fresh thing to add to the conversation “
Read more about Justin struggle to get financial backing for the film over at the Hollywood Reporter HERE
About The Movie:
” About four black people who attend a prestigious fictional ‘all white’ college named Winchester University and it sort of explores being a ‘black in face’ in a mostly ‘all white place ‘. But more than just about race in American the film is about identity. Who You Are, into relation to what people expect of you or assume that you might be. ”
About Her Character Who Is Secretly Dating A White Man In The Film:
” She [ Samantha] is somebody that is having a hard to reconciling with some parts of her personality and she becomes this accidental figure head in some kind of way because of her radio show.”
On Whether She’s Been A Victim Of Racism/Prejudice:
” I think we’re in a place were RACISM or PREJUDICE is a bit more COVERT but certainly people expressed those opinions. Similar remarks were made by Bill O’Reiley just recently … He said white privilege doesn’t exist because there’s ‘Oprah’ and ‘President Barack Obama’ and I think ‘Kurt’ makes the same argument in the film. I think the film’s intent is to start a conversation and I really hope that it does and takes it further .”
‘Dear White People’ is in theaters NOW!
Take a watch at the trailer below: