Are We Erasing the Image of Black Women? Controversy over Nina Simone Hollywood Biopic.

Came across this post this morning on Facebook from Bougie Black Girl about Nina Simone, ‘colorism’ and the controversy surrounding the casting of an upcoming biopic. I had to share it with folks and encourage folks to sign the petition.. which is directed at record mogul Jimmy Iovine and long time writer Cynthia Mort. They are replacing Mary J Blige w/ actress Zoe Saldana to play Nina.. The move has caused a huge firestorm..It’s definitely a case of erasing history.. To better understand,  people should read this letter from Nina Simone’s daughter printed below then take a look at the picture below..Once you do this you’ll see the problem. It’s a profound one…..Here’s the letter from Simone’s daughter..

-Davey D-

Greetings Nina Simone Lovers, Simone here.

I have read many of the comments am happy you all took the time to share your thoughts and feelings.

Here’s mine:

When the announcement initially hit the press with MJ Blige cast as Nina (about 6 yrs ago) I heard it along with everyone else. The story was written as a love story between my mother and her former nurse, Clifton Henderson and primarily takes place during the last 8 years of her life.Please note, this project is unauthorized. The Nina Simone Estate was never asked permission nor invited to participate.

I have seen many names regarding who you think should play the role of Nina. Remember Angela Bassett as Tina Turner? SHE NAILED IT! Angela Bassett is an ACTRESS! And, we all know she lip synced along with Tina and did an amazing job. Personally, I prefer an actress to a singer. Just because a person is great at one does not mean they will be great at the other. If written, funded and CAST PROPERLY a movie about my mother will make an lasting imprint.

My vision of a movie about my mother includes SO many pivotal moments that are monumentally important towards relaying the journey of a woman whose journey began as a child prodigy born in North Carolina in the 1930’s…too many to list here but, trust when I say the tale will inspire through the sheer sharing of HOW Eunice Waymon became Nina Simone, The High Priestess Of Soul renowned worldwide. How many of you know my mother’s FIRST love was classical music? Do you know the hours she practiced preparing to audition for the Curtis Institute of Music only to be rejected because of the color of her skin? **After my mother made her transition I accepted a diploma from that very same institute with a speech she began writing but was unable to finish prior to her death.** As a child, my mother was told her nose was too big and she was too dark yet she graduated valedictorian of her high school class – The Allen School for Girls – AND, skipped two grades. Nina was one of the most outspoken, prolifically gifted artists using the stage to speak out against racism during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. Her friends included Betty Shabazz, Lorraine Hansberry (my godmother), Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Miriam Makeba, Stokely Carmichael, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Kings and Queens worldwide. Had she become a classical pianist, which was her dream….shattered, I doubt she would have found her true destiny. Nina Simone was a voice for her people and she spoke out HONESTLY, sang to us FROM HER SOUL, shared her joy, pain, anger and intelligence poetically in a style all her own. My mother stood up for justice, by any means necessary hahahaha YES, she was a revolutionary til the day she died. From Tragedy to Transcendence – MY VISION. The whole arc of her life which is inspirational, educational, entertaining and downright shocking at times is what needs to be told THE RIGHT WAY.

By the way:

Clifton Henderson was gay. He was not attracted to women. So, the truth is…Nina Simone and Clifton Henderson NEVER had a relationship other than a business one.

Please correct me, but isn’t a biopic the story of one’s life?

I have faith things will work out the right way and my mother’s real story will be told. For all she endured while here and all of the lives she has touched, she DESERVES to be remembered for who she truly was; not some made up love story from a former nurse/manager (now deceased) who sold his life rights because of his relationship to Nina Simone.

Ciao Y’All….Simone

Here’s a link to the petition

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Comments

  1. Reblogged this on .

  2. I love Nina says

    this is why everyone needs to read “I Put A Spell On You” by Nina Simone. Forget Hollywood, thet can’t kill what they never created. Nina is ours and there’s nothing Hollywood can do about it.

  3. Reblogged this on Moorbey's Blog.

  4. all the sistas in hollyweird, and you pick a woman that has, on more than one occasion, ran away from her colored ethnicity? geez louise….

  5. I see the profound issue at hand. This draws thoughts upon ‘how many scripts have been written and produced on a complete fictitious account of our Black brothers and sisters?’ Scary thought to think we have been deliberately told the wrong history of our people. Its refreshing to hear the truth these days!

  6. Smh…..why not Viola Davis?

  7. EnoughAlready says

    Yes…this could have a great oppurtunity for some our hollywood actresses who are not getting the chance to get meaningful roles. Like Tichina Arnold, she has a great voice she can act and she has a direct understanding of what it is to be an African American woman in this country….she don’t need to fake that. I think these people get off on disrepecting us as a people. When exactly will Angela Bassett receive the script for Celia Cruz? right!…. At the end of the day I won’t be seeing any Nina Simone Bio’s that’s not blessed by her family. period.

  8. I think Marianne Jean-Baptiste would have been a perfect choice.

  9. Well,I know that her daughter may have the final say so,but of all people “ZOE” ,to me ,she has never ever epitomized the image of a black person,period; unless her daughter wants distance.

  10. Adam&Steve says

    Who is “we”?!

    You and hollywood?

    Are you trying to give black people the impression that hollywood represents black people?

    Just like hollywood represents white people?

    Why dont you just move down to LA already!

    BTW: Why dont you might as well bitch at Spike Lee for casting Denzel Washington as Malcolm X instead of Fishburne?!

  11. Adam&Steve says

    ^^
    Well aint that special!

    Thats were you belong!

    So fluckin claim it!

    And stop pretending that you have ever been from Oakland!

  12. Yo, i’ve alwayz known Davey Dave to be from the 510. Hollywood is annoying. They always get a big name actor to play most roles going around at the time. You would think they would get a relative unknown, someone who remotely looked like Nina. Interesting suggestion about Fishburne as Malcolm X. When I saw Red Heat, I thought the resemblence was uncanny. Let’s not take anything away from the great Denzel Washington. He did his thing in Malcolm X homeboy I thought you knew.

  13. Insane. The chick who played in Dreamgirls, Colored Girls and the voice of the Princess in the black Disney movie should portray her. Hands down! Annika Rose or something to that affect,

  14. Critical Eye says

    How about Nikki Micheaux?? I think she’d be a good choice, along with Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Viola Davis. I have long since stopped depending on hollyWON’T to tell accurate biopics about us. WE (those of us with the right mindset) need to be creating them.

  15. they look similar around the mouth…and the eyes a little bit…

  16. Reblogged this on Downtown Local.

  17. On the bright side of this, nobody will see this movie and Zoe most likely ended her career because of this.

  18. I lost a lot of respect for Zoe when Nina’s own daughter has rejected her being cast and she STILL didn’t stand down. So it makes me wonder, why ARE you doing it then Zoe? You have now proved it doesn’t even matter what her own family think as long as you get a bit of exposure. *Tsk* Dark skin Black women not even allowed to PLAY darkskinned women. Phuq this movie. I will NEVER pay to see it.

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  1. […] about mistold stories – if mistold enough times they will be come fact. Imagine someone portraying Ms. Nina Simone, but the actress isn’t even black? Don’t do […]