Spoken Word: N.W.A Casting Call

Source: Todd MacMillan/Universal Pictures

Last week, a casting agency caused a lot of uproar in the interwebs.  The Sandi Allesi Casting posted a casting call to their Facebook page looking for women for the new N.W.A Biopic.  In this decade's most racist casting call, women were broken down into 4 categories: A, B, C, and D.  The A-C category requested women who were the hottest of the hottest, mixed race, medium to light skin with long hair, natural or weave.  Being of the darker shade myself, I had a bit of a problem with Category D.  Category D asked specifically for dark skin women who were not only out of shape but poor looking.  Because as we all know only dark skinned women are out of shape and poor.

To express my disgust for everything in this casting call, I decided to find my inner Love Jones and come to you with this post in spoken word.  So turn down the lights, light a cigarette, and snap as I approach the stage and give you

CATEGORY D

2014, but it might as well be 1943 

Too dark to be "the hottest of the hot"

But just right to be a rag, wearing mammy

I can be cast to be the loud mouth baby mama or

The girl twisting her neck at the corner store

Shaking my hand as I talk

Oooooo, maybe I get the part as Dr. Dre's Compton whore

Hair not long enough for Category A

Skin not medium enough for Category C

Dark skin, short hair, chubby stature

Just right for Category D

Why can't I be the love interest?

Why can't I be the woman that Ice Cube strives for?

Why is that light is right,

But dark gets ignored?

I thought this dispute was over

This way of thinking was in the past

But I'm still having to defend my dark shade

All my childhood insecurities coming back fast

My mom repeatedly having to tell me I'm beautiful

Giving myself pep talks before I left for school

Being intimidated to wear vibrant colors 

And only clear lip gloss was the rule

But the pep talks are few

I wear every color on the spectrum

I embrace my dark skin 

Rather than view it as an incurable infection

Casting call agent 

I have some words for you

The next time you mention my shade

This is what you should do

Pair it with strength, perseverance,

Vulnerable, charming, and beauty,

Funny, smart, sarcastic,

And maybe a little snooty  

Casting call agent,

Listen to my plea,

Do not shame my black women and black girls

With Category D

*Snap, Snap Hope you enjoyed the flow of my words.  What did you think about the casting call? 

Update: The casting agency and N.W.A has made a public apology for the ignant casting call.