Nia Long has explained her recent comments on not liking the term “Black movies.” She elaborated on the opinion during an appearance on The Daily Show with guest host Wanda Sykes.
“What I mean by that is, if we continue to practice this idea of separatism, we continue to divide,” Long said. “And I will always and forever hold my fist up because I understand the experience. But I also believe the more we understand about one another, and the more accepting we are of one another, this thing called art should be representative of all of us.”
Long had originally told Buzzfeed that the idea of “Black movies” only serves to “hold us back.”
“I think terms like that hold us back,” Long said. “And I have to catch myself sometimes too, because I’m very proud of who I am.”
“When I use the word ‘Black,’ I don’t use it as a way to separate ourselves from anyone,” Long told the outlet. “I use it as a way to put an exclamation point behind our greatness, because I don’t think that it’s always been celebrated and recognized.”
She continued: “I’m here to represent who we are. And if you want to come along for the ride, everyone’s welcome!”
Nia Long’s latest film, You People, was released on Netflix on Friday. She stars alongside Eddie Murphy, Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and more. The story follows a young couple who deal with cultural clashes and generational divides.
Long recently revealed that she wants to work with Murphy on another rom-com at some point in the future.
Check out Nia Long’s comments on The Daily Show below.
[Via]