A Mainstream Vision

Photo By Yolanda Hoskey

What role do you see The Mainstream playing in the broader movement for diversity and inclusion in Hollywood?

This was the first thing I considered when starting the blog. Broadly speaking, it’s challenging to find excellent Black films, nuanced actors, and incredible directors. With the advancement of technology, anyone can make a film, which sometimes results in poorly written projects from those who haven’t gone through the rigorous process required for great work.

I want this blog to serve as a beacon for those undiscovered voices—creative individuals who have something to say. Whether it’s costume designers, sound techs, producers, or other top-tier creative minds, I aim for the blog to showcase and inspire these talents.

My hope is that this community will form a strong bond and that a network will be built upon its influence, fostering collaboration and elevating the industry as a whole.

There have been reports of legal issues, including a lawsuit from an investor. How have these challenges affected your career and your ability to create new projects?

Yes, but to be frank, that’s the risk of not knowing who you are in business with. The self-admitted narcissistic investor was extremely abusive—financially, emotionally, and in other ways I won’t delve into here. Standing up to that level of abuse required guts and unknown consequences. But I’m a principled man who will always stand on business, especially against a lawsuit with no merit, only designed to take money out of my pockets.

If saying “no” meant I didn’t get to work on another project for a while, so be it. I’ll seek redress in court because that’s the only way I can be made whole after such a diabolical experience.

Since your Emmy nomination for King Ester, many have wondered why there hasn’t been another major project from you. Can you share what factors have contributed to this hiatus, and how you’re planning to move forward creatively?

Whew. I both love and hate this question. There are many factors that have affected my output. In fact, I’ve made a few projects since King Ester, but with increased visibility comes heightened expectations. When the outcomes don’t align with what people anticipated, perspectives shift.

So, I’ve been going through some intense periods of change. I’m reconnecting with my purpose on a deeper, more visceral level. I’m now a stronger and more imaginative filmmaker, and I hope people will see that reflected in my upcoming work sooner rather than later.

So, yeah—there’s been a lot going on. But I’m proud that I’ve had the courage to walk away from situations and people that weren’t serving me. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have had the strength to do that.

What role do you think social media plays in amplifying the voices of Black filmmakers and creators of color today?

Unfairly, too much. There’s this misguided notion that social relevance translates to a strong script. It doesn’t. That well-known filmmakers are more talented. They’re not. That a large social following guarantees viewers for your project. Not really. Social media can be a platform of deception in many ways, with no clear metric to determine who becomes successful.

That’s why my focus has been to put my gifts on the page. It’s easier to like a post than to engage deeply with a character’s journey. I’m sometimes tempted to shift my focus to increasing my visibility, and perhaps I will, but my primary goal is to present excellence. To be a voice that says, “Hey! Look over here—this project is outstanding.”

I’ll always use social media as a communication platform, but honestly, I’d rather let my work speak for itself than rely on a thinly crafted social media narrative that glosses over the truth of how difficult the human experience is.

Can you discuss a moment in your career when you felt the weight of being a Black filmmaker in Hollywood? How does that experience shape your blog's narrative?

I think for me, it boils down to one word: trust. That might not seem compelling on its face, but the weight many of us carry as Black creators is the reality that our perspectives and voices aren’t always trusted. There’s a part of myself that I have to leave behind when I open my computer for a Zoom call or check in for a meeting.

All of me can’t come. This truth hit home a few years ago when I was working on a Bayard Rustin series that never came to fruition. I understood Bayard—who he was, what made him tick. They sought me out because I was a Black creator, but when my vision leaned toward a modern approach to shaping this historical narrative, I kept hearing, “I don’t get it.”

They wanted the version of Blackness that made sense to them. They were interested in the usual angles: the struggle, his interracial marriage, the adversaries surrounding him. But that’s the world we live in every day. It’s unspoken between us, so why not show something more whimsical and forward-leaning, rather than what’s already known?

I worked on that project for almost a year without being paid a dime, only to be removed because I didn’t deliver on a vision they never had. It was, and still is, painful. What I crafted would have been celebrated by the very audience they were underestimating.

In your opinion, what is the most significant barrier to success for creators of color in the film industry, and how can it be overcome?

Community. We need to form a stronger community of like-minded individuals committed to creating the best of what we have in us.

How do you ensure that your blog remains relevant and impactful as the conversation around diversity in Hollywood evolves?

The first film ever made was of a Black couple. We’ve always been the leading voices of culture. So, we will always remain relevant. What The Mainstream is designed to do is introduce and reintroduce our voices into the conversation.

As Toni Morrison said, “We are the mainstream.”

We are indeed.