A scene from the recently-premiered second season of She’s Gotta Have It is spurring backlash on Black Twitter, so much so that even actor John Boyega has slammed the series.

The scene in question depicts Nola Darling (DeWanda Wise) talking about how Black British actors take roles from Black American actors. Darling went on to have a dialogue with Black British man, Olu (Michael Luwoye), in which Olu says that British actors are more equipped for certain roles because they don’t carry the burden of Black American history. Darling then attempts to explain to Olu about how Black Brits aren’t “unburdened.”

 

The scene has received criticism online, with many directing the critiques toward series creator, Spike Lee:

Lee has responded to the criticism on Instagram

 

Samuel L. Jackson ignited a conversation a few years back when he spoke about the debate, speaking specifically about Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out, saying “There are a lot of Black British actors in these movies. I tend to wonder what that movie would have been with an American brother who really feels that. What would a brother from America have made of that role? Some things are universal, but not everything.”

Kaluuya hit back at Jackson, saying,  “I resent that I have to prove that I’m Black.  In order to prove that I can play this role, I have to open up about the trauma that I’ve experienced as a Black person. I have to show off my struggle so that people accept that I’m Black. I’m dark-skinned, bro. When I’m around Black people I’m made to feel ‘other’ because I’m dark-skinned. I’ve had to wrestle with that, with people going ‘You’re too Black.’ Then I come to America and they say, ‘You’re not Black enough.’ I go to Uganda, I can’t speak the language. In India, I’m Black. In the Black community, I’m dark-skinned. In America, I’m British.”

 

READ MORE:

What to Make of Buzzfeed’s “Rise of the Black British Actor in America” Piece…

Samuel L. Jackson Clarifies His Black British Actors Comment: “It Was Not a Slam Against Them” + Some Thoughts

 

Photo: Netflix