Since the beginning of his career Denzel Washington is rarely seen kissing white women in films until recently. Even still it is rare for this to occur. Washington is a very conscious man and there is an admirable reason we seldom see him kiss a white woman on screen. Washington recognizes the bias in Hollywood and chooses not to feed into it.
NYDailyNews reported this about Washington’s choices to keep his on-screen kisses off limits with his white female co-stars:
Allison Samuels reveals in her new book, “Off the Record” (Amistad), Denzel Washington turned down a love scene with Julia Roberts out of respect for his female African-American fans. Washington nixed the steamy segment even though Roberts insisted that he be cast as her co-star in “The Pelican Brief,” writes Samuels, a respected Newsweek reporter. Washington explained: “Black women are not often seen as objects of desire on film. And they have always been my core audience.”
Denzel also recognizes what women as a whole are faced with in Hollywood:
“Black or white, there seems to be a cut-off for women,” he said. “Don’t have a couple of kids; you’re out the door. They’re constantly looking for the younger one, the younger one, and for African American women, women of color, it’s doubly hard. And then for dark-skinned African American women, it’s even more difficult.”
You really can’t be upset with his stance because of how valid his reasoning is. Of course some will try to flip it to fit their narrative but we know and see the bias in Hollywood.
I applaud Denzel for his stance. It would be great if other blacks reacted the same way. Nothing against white women, but respecting the black women. Kudos!!!
I appreciate the fact that Denzel put the black women feelings into consideration . Not that we take the white women as a threat. He is truly a brother.
I’m a white lady and I totally understand. I wasn’t ever prejudice. My dad taught me every one are the same. I grew up in Birmingham in the 60’s. I didn’t understand why white people acted the way they did. I remember in the doctors office there was a section that said colored section. There were a lot of empty seats there and only one in the other section. I went to where there were lots of seats with 1 black lady. My mother told me in a very rough voice to come here . I said there’s lots of seats over here. She gave me a look like she was going to kill me. My dad was from New Hampshire maybe that had something to do with it. I never listened to my moms racial crap. My point is if someone had treated my grandfather like beating him and hanging him. I can see how easy it would be to hate white people or whom ever did that to my family. I’m white and I get upset when I hear racist idiot’s speak. I argued plenty when I was young to my mother. I asked her do you think there aren’t any black people in heaven? The people I enjoyed being around in life were black people. I know there is bad in all races I’ve met them.
Josie, I applaud your views as a modern day “social abolitionist. I’m a 71 year old white male of Irish decent, born and raised in the Pacific N.W. – Western Washington State; Tacoma. There was segregated housing there during my school years but I never understood racism. I grew up in a Christian home & attended a local Christian church. I graduated H.S. in 1965 when there was growing racial tensions but I knew in my heart that in Jesus teaching and Spiritual influence, human bigotry of any kind was totally wrong; an ungodly thing.
I do know that it is always right to honor our parents which is one of the Ten Commandments, but I also know that it can sometimes be difficult as in your case with your mother when you could see the truth of God as being the Father creator of the entire human race.
We now know the horrible results of the evil of human bigotry that came out of the false idea of human evolution which led Adolph Hitler and his NAZIs to believe that one race could be more advanced than another and therefore a “superior race.”
I love you all