The word "blame" needs to be eliminated from the discourse when discussing the ongoing boycott on the part of black women against Nate Parker’s film “The Birth of A Nation”. Yet blame is what is being leveled at black women who chose to keep their dollars in their pockets, instead of an acknowledgement of the success of a conscientious act . Black women are not the "blame" for the film's failure. Black women were successful at waging a boycott against the film and they won. This is nothing to be shamed and blamed for. There are many who are now trying to guilt trip black women for purposely refusing to support a film made by an unapologetic black male and his rapist cohort who were both freed on technicalities. This is no minor situation at a time when many black women are waking up and realizing that they are not obligated to use their dollars to support everything oppressive black males do. The blame game is therefore completely insidious.
To say that black women should now be "blamed", indicates that some sort of a criminal or negligent act happened here, when it was, in fact, a conscientious one that happened instead. No one would ever say that black people who boycotted the buses in Montgomery (a boycott organized by black women teachers by the way) were to "blame" for the bus company closing. They would say that they were successful at shutting it down. Yet when black women make a conscious step to not support a film made by black males who don’t deserve their support and are successful at it, suddenly they are to "blame". That word needs to be completely eliminated from the discussion on what happened with the action against this film BECAUSE BLACK WOMEN HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR.
The impact of the word of mouth that flew around the web among black women is being underestimated here. Yes there were other factors that contributed to the film’s failure but black males and the media content they create has ALWAYS depended upon the financial support of black women and their approval. This is a documented fact.
Black women's groups on and off line were speaking about this situation and the black woman's impact on the box office receipts were obviously enough to send Roland Martin, the fake doctor of con artistry Umar Johnson and all of the other misogynistic black males into a tizzy. They went on a rampant rant across the web and on television, castigating and guilt tripping black women left and right for taking a principled stance. They didn't berate white people or black males or any other groups. Their targeted diatribes were laser focused on black women, decrying feminism along the way.
They obviously recognized black women as having an organized voice and also came to a realization of their buying power, as a real threat to their bottom line as black male content creators. Why others are now trying to minimize this power, is beyond comprehension. Black male misogynists and perpetrators of sexual violence have been officially put on notice that black women will no longer be pimped by them. Black women are waking up more and more daily and realizing that there is no conceivable reason to put money into the black male's pocket when he creates harm to women and girls.
It is also contradictory for these black males who are always touting this "pro black" line about the patriarchal black family and who rake black women over the coals regularly for now dating and marrying outside of the race more and more (but nowhere near as much as they as black males have, for centuries), to insist that black women give their dollars to black males that aren't in the least bit interested in them. Nate isn't even married to a black woman so the idea that black women are now responsible for supporting he and his white wife, is just ridiculous. Black women are not to be castigated for deciding not to support him nor should their decision be relegated to mere jealousy. It is a major point about race loyalty, that they themselves are always touting, that cannot be minimized. Black women are blamed and shamed by these patriarchy pushers regularly because they are aligning themselves with feminism, (which these black males have falsely and inaccurately deemed as supporting white supremacy, a blatantly false analysis since black women invented feminism). Yet they are also blamed and shamed for not supporting a black male with a white woman on his arm. The contradictions are glaring.
None of these factors are lost on black women who are insulted by the idea that they are, automatically, supposed to support black male projects no matter what, simply because they are black and male. That insult translated into box office receipts that weren't what they expected and hopefully it will continue. I personally encouraged black women to stay home instead of going to put money in Nate Parker's pocket and watch Michel'le's biopic instead. I am hoping they did, as it is much more important to see the work of black women directors and support their work, if they are in fact providing a platform for the voices and stories of black women.
Black women were successful at a boycott and should be applauded for it and continue to support the boycott firmly and nothing less, no matter what ignorant people say or what any patriarchy pusher says or any other self hating woman or misogynist says. Black women will continue to win if they say "No more!" and let their dollars speak for them. This is what should happen and black women should be proud of it and stand firm in their convictions. The only blame that needs to be leveled is at the rape apologists. Let's all hope the trend continues and the awakening as well.