I read this book when I was about 16 years old. I saw it on my mothers book shelf and I became intrigued with the title and the woman with the black face on the cover. She reminded me of someone I knew maybe my mother, maybe my aunt, maybe my cousins or maybe myself. I picked that at book up and I read those words of the women all named after colors... I tried to make sense of their inner turmoil... I tried to wonder what it would be like to have an abortion... I thought about having men come in and out of my bedroom... I tried to imagine having my kids thrown out the window by the man I loved... I read that book over and over and I still couldn't make sense of it... I was so young and naive that I really didn't know what those words meant... Abortion, hurt, pain, cheating men and just the everyday pain of being a Colored Girl... Now at 29 years young those words they were speaking are my words, words of my friends and family members. Now I know what the lady in green meant when she said "somebody tried to take all of my stuff somebody tried to take me and tried to leave a simple bitch in my place." Now I know what it feels like to have sorry greeting you at the door and so many sorry's your closet you can't even get to your clothes."
Last night I went to see the movie with my sisters and step-mothers they were delighted, but I was skeptical for two reasons one being it was a Tyler Perry movie and everybody knows this Diva Doll ain't no Tyler Perry fan. Two how to you bring such a dramatic chorepoem to the big screen? When the movie first started I was rolling my eyes and forming opinions, but not even ten minutes into it I remember being 16 years old sitting on the back of my father's Ford pick-up truck reading about these colored women and not just black in color, but every color of the rainbow. I remembered loving someone who didn't love me back, I remember thinking I could make somebody love me because of what was in between my thighs and here it was for me people who look like me and sound like me going threw problems that I've been through or that I know someone who is going threw. Kerry Washington, Anika Noni Rose, Phylisia Rashad, Whoppi Goldberg, Thandie Newton, Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine and Tessa Thompson were all awesome, but I have to give Janet Jackson special praise for her portrayal of the lady in red "Jo" she was so believable and when she delivered Ntozake's poem "Sorry" I had chills all over my body and tears running down my face. I felt what she was talking about it was so real... Not her exact situation, but the fact that we've all been tired of hearing I'm sorry!
I urge all women to go see this women and not just women of color, but women. We have to be empowered, we have to make sure that nobody walks out with our stuff under their arm in a plastic bag.
No comments:
Post a Comment