Black Lightning actress, Nafessa Williams is out here on a mission to change the entertainment. She made history when she became television’s first black lesbian superhero but for her, that’s just not ennough. When she’s not on camera changing the industry, she’s using her platform to speak out on injustices across our nation.
In a personal essay for E! News, Williams is passionate about speaking out against the many black lives lost. She began stating, “As we’re speaking on the Black Lives Matter movement and the current landscape of the entertainment industry, I’ll start with this quote by John Lewis, may he rest in peace: “I want to see young people in America feel the spirit of the 1960s and find a way to get in the way. To find a way to get in trouble. Good trouble, necessary trouble.”
She added, “Black Lives Matter. Breonna Taylor’s life mattered. George Floyd’s life mattered. Those were my thoughts as I headed out to protest on a cloudy day in L.A. last month. As I approached the protest, I saw cars on fire, protestors injured from rubber bullets and armed military on every corner. I felt like I was shooting a scene on the set of Black Lightning, except there wasn’t a director yelling “action” and “cut.” I quickly snapped out of my flashback of being on set and realized this was real life. On this day I had somewhat of an understanding of the spirit of the 1960s. I wanted my voice to be heard by causing “good trouble.”
It’s clear there needs to be a more diverse group in all aspects of entertainment but Williams stressed the importance of groups being diverse in all industries, not just one.
Click here to read Nafessa Williams’ personal essay with E! News.
Black Lightning is set to return to The CW for a fourth season.
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