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Nate Parker reveals how his latest film American Skin came about and the significance of it.
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Nate Parker Talks New Film 'American Skin | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
https://youtu.be/cbRwJmSF2pw
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0:02
wow
0:03
one of the most powerful films you're
0:05
going to watch this year and i encourage
0:07
everyone to watch it it's called
0:09
american skin
0:12
uh and i had a chance to watch it and
0:14
it's listen
0:17
i want to put db on for our next guest
0:19
who stars in this movie
0:21
director he's a you know he's a writer
0:24
he does it all the one and only
0:26
nate parker dbk you run down the list of
0:28
his accomplishments
0:30
of course i can i mean he's he's uh
0:32
accomplished
0:33
actor and filmmaker like you just
0:35
mentioned i mean you've seen him in
0:36
beyond the lights
0:37
red tails the secret life of bees and of
0:39
course he uh
0:41
you know when it comes to getting
0:43
putting your acting skills to the chest
0:45
i don't think anything could be greater
0:46
than the great debaters
0:47
where he was alongside denzel washington
0:50
and forest whitaker
0:51
and uh of course the birth of a nation
0:53
which he wrote directed and starred in
0:55
which broke records and got a lot of
0:57
acclaim and then now
0:58
he's back with his new film which is uh
1:01
you know stirring up a lot of
1:02
conversations and it's very timely
1:04
considering everything that's happening
1:05
right now
1:06
uh in our country and he wrote directed
1:08
stardom i mean he's
1:10
he's uh he's doing everything behind the
1:11
scenes and in front of the camera and
1:13
if spike lee puts his stamp on it then
1:15
you know it's got to be something
1:16
special so please welcome him to the
1:17
show
1:18
nate parker there it is nate parker
1:22
welcome happy to be here love y'all nate
1:25
it's been a long time
1:26
yeah it's been a long time coming man
1:28
what did i do what did i say
1:31
i've been in line i've been lying
1:32
waiting my turn i'm like i'm not gonna
1:34
be on sway
1:35
maybe my turn i appreciate you having me
1:38
oh absolutely man um how you been
1:42
oh man i'm fantastic you know so blessed
1:45
the world's upside down
1:46
of course but thank god i'm safe family
1:49
safe
1:49
healthy you know it's very trying time
1:51
so i feel blessed man i have no
1:52
complaints
1:53
okay nate parker how does it uh impact
1:56
you to know that today's the
1:57
inauguration and heather b
1:59
just informed me that mike pence has
2:00
showed up to the inauguration does that
2:02
mean anything to you nate parker
2:05
well you know i heard you were talking
2:08
in your interview before you know
2:09
there's a lot of work to do in this
2:11
country
2:11
you know i think that we're in a
2:13
position of of where we can really
2:15
you know hold america accountable and
2:17
and having uh
2:19
you know kamala harris who i'm so
2:21
excited about
2:22
uh being in a position where you know we
2:24
can bring a lot of these issues to her
2:26
and through bride and through this
2:27
administration have some level
2:29
of uh representation that is that is
2:32
better than what we
2:33
we've had i think it is encouraging of
2:35
course we have our work to do
2:36
you know in our community we have to
2:38
play our part in changing our narratives
2:40
and holding people accountable
2:41
um but i uh you know as you said in the
2:43
interview before let's let's see what
2:44
today looks like but recognize that
2:47
a lot of the freedom we seek in our
2:48
community is going to come from our
2:49
actions
2:50
it's going to come from our actions and
2:51
it's going to have to happen locally
2:53
like there's not one president that's
2:54
going to save the day that's going to
2:56
save you
2:57
every day nate parker is here man i'm
3:01
curious real quick before we go into
3:02
this movie how did you go from
3:04
wrestling to film like what was that
3:07
that defended the moment but like so
3:10
many other brothers you know i mean
3:12
athletics saved my life you know i grew
3:14
up in norfolk virginia
3:15
you know grew up in a project called
3:16
tidewater park projects
3:18
uh and my only goal was to escape you
3:22
know how do i get out of this situation
3:23
you know i had this this kind of great
3:25
escape in my mind how i get out in
3:27
sports became the opportunity for me but
3:29
it wasn't until i got to school
3:31
and start studying african american
3:32
history and african history that i
3:34
realized that
3:35
you know the blessing of being able to
3:37
escape the community
3:38
uh wasn't in the escape it was in the
3:41
escape
3:42
and getting the information i needed to
3:43
come back and help my brothers and
3:44
sisters navigate the space in a way that
3:46
was easier than mine so
3:48
uh you know sports was my way my way to
3:51
my education and then that education was
3:53
you know really
3:54
got me into the activism that i try to
3:56
represent in my art today
3:59
hmm okay nate parker um we you know
4:01
we're gonna do a series of interviews
4:03
this is the first one
4:04
i can't wait bro i can't believe it
4:06
that's just the first one
4:08
i'm gonna jump into the film because
4:10
there's a it's a lot to unpack i mean
4:12
you know i sat and watched the film and
4:13
i took so many notes and it was like you
4:15
know what let me stop taking notes and
4:16
just speak
4:17
and i read that in 2014 you went to
4:19
ferguson missouri during the protest
4:21
over
4:21
the killing of mike brown and that and
4:24
yeah
4:25
okay talk about how that experience
4:26
inspired this movie well
4:28
well that that experience actually
4:31
started with
4:32
you know 2013 i got custody of my nephew
4:35
um his father was in prison my sister
4:37
needed help and so
4:38
you know i take this you know 13 year
4:40
old young man from norfolk virginia
4:42
where i grew up and brought him you know
4:45
here thinking i would be putting him in
4:46
a situation where he'd have
4:48
much more opportunity uh to have a safe
4:50
space to get his education you know as
4:52
we know so many of our communities are
4:54
broken
4:54
i know you're from oakland you know and
4:56
i've done some speaking in oakland
4:57
and and you know dr king talks about it
4:59
as being two americas when it comes to
5:01
education so many other
5:02
you know elements of of how we are
5:04
nurtured and nurture our children
5:06
we're just in a situation equity
5:09
inequality or power
5:10
and so i took him out of that community
5:12
to put him in a situation where he could
5:13
have a better opportunity but i realized
5:15
very quickly in
5:16
uh you know adopting him so to speak as
5:18
my son i was taking him out of the
5:20
frying pan into the fire you know now
5:21
he's riding his bike through outdoor
5:23
neighborhoods going to school
5:24
and you know in 2014 michael brown got
5:27
killed as we
5:28
sat on the couch looking at his bloated
5:29
body on the on the pavement
5:32
he turns to me and he says uncle nate
5:33
what do i do if i get pulled over by the
5:35
police on my bike
5:37
and you know you would think the the the
5:40
quick answers would be the right answers
5:41
right you know i was like well you know
5:43
if the police is following or something
5:44
just call me uh wherever you are i'll
5:46
get there but then i was like no don't
5:48
don't reach for your phone don't do that
5:50
just slow down you know very carefully
5:53
put your feet down put your hands up
5:56
turn to the officer so he can see your
5:57
baby face you can see your humanity
6:00
no sudden moves uh and i'm looking at my
6:03
nephew as i'm talking to him and he's
6:04
looking at me like i'm crazy he's like
6:06
man like
6:06
and i realize in that moment i was
6:07
traumatizing him and i felt like wow
6:10
like
6:11
here i am a person you know engaged in
6:14
in activism doing all these things but i
6:16
don't have
6:17
an answer for for my nephew son
6:20
that's simply asking me how does he
6:22
survive
6:24
an encounter with the police on his way
6:25
to school
6:27
uh and it troubled me and and that
6:29
became that was like the seed for
6:31
for writing this piece i said you know i
6:33
gotta gotta do some i went to ferguson
6:36
and uh you know and it was funny because
6:38
you know a lot of people don't know
6:40
when you know after michael brown got
6:41
killed and they were having a protest
6:44
you know the crips and the bloods were
6:45
united like the community was coming
6:47
together
6:48
for protection against the cops that
6:49
were doing crazy things when when it was
6:51
dark outside you know i saw it
6:53
on my own eyes and i went to new york
6:55
and you know
6:56
when eric garner was you know was
6:58
murdered and and you know
7:00
was marching and saw the the the ubers
7:02
and cabs just driving around us and i
7:04
thought to myself like man like
7:06
there has to be something i can
7:08
contribute to the conversation that
7:10
that will help us to break this record
7:11
you know this this broken record
7:14
uh and that's where you know i just
7:15
started developing as a short story
7:17
then develop it into more of a script
7:19
and the scripture started to
7:20
to to write itself as the more research
7:22
i did i i got to interview dozens and
7:25
dozens of
7:26
police officers and it was interesting
7:28
because all of them spoke to me under
7:29
the condition of anonymity they were
7:30
like yeah you know as long as you're not
7:32
going to say my name i'll tell you
7:33
everything you want to know
7:34
you know and and all these cops of
7:36
different colors told me they're like
7:37
anyone that doesn't
7:38
profile that says they doesn't profile
7:40
it's lying everybody fro
7:42
profiles you know they said we go into
7:44
the there's two types of policing when
7:46
we're in a nice neighborhood
7:47
you know we call that administrative
7:48
police how are you sir how you doing man
7:51
thank you very much he said we go to the
7:53
hood or the jungle
7:54
it's criminal policing get the out
7:56
of the car get on the curb excuse my
7:58
language
7:58
you know so just see all of this
8:01
research kind of culminated in
8:02
what you know what is really a letter to
8:05
my nephew a letter to our sons and
8:06
daughters and all of us that
8:08
you know are on the wrong end of the
8:11
controlling intimidation and terrorism
8:14
of policing in this country and i just
8:16
wanted to create something that i felt
8:17
was a representation of where we
8:19
are right now for now nate parker is
8:23
here we talking about american skin i'm
8:25
glad you broke that down i'm gonna
8:26
move out the way so heather and tracy
8:28
could join but i want to point out
8:30
something that i thought was really
8:31
unique about this and i'm
8:33
and i'm glad you you you talked about
8:35
the anonymity of the police officers but
8:38
the fact that
8:38
you actually did research and sat and
8:40
talked to him because one thing about
8:42
this movie
8:44
that i really enjoyed is you gave
8:46
everybody a mic
8:49
like everybody had a mic nate plays
8:52
lincoln jefferson i don't want to tell
8:53
the whole plot of the movie but his boy
8:55
is
8:56
his son is shot and killed in front of
8:58
him
8:59
you know and and what they what he set
9:01
off to do with a collective of
9:03
uh family members and friends and this
9:06
character is also a u.s marine veteran
9:08
is to seek justice on his own because he
9:10
couldn't get it for his son
9:12
and the way he does it is so interesting
9:15
to me and one of the things that stuck
9:16
out is
9:17
you gave the characters who played the
9:19
police officers
9:20
the mic you gave people who were you
9:23
know
9:24
non-violent criminals who have roles in
9:27
these scenes i'm trying not to give it
9:29
away
9:29
you gave right them every time you say
9:33
you try not to give it away you giving
9:34
it away
9:41
i was talking to um omari uh hardwick
9:44
who you know that's our brother i was
9:45
talking to omari about the
9:47
movie yeah and i said man how did this
9:49
connect and he and he told me there was
9:50
a couple projects that it was a project
9:52
that
9:52
i had in the work works it didn't happen
9:55
because of
9:56
funding or whatever and then you
9:58
approached him about this movie and he
10:00
said he asked you
10:00
uh what is it you want to do with this
10:02
movie and he said
10:04
you said i want to change the culture
10:08
what did you mean by that well
10:12
police culture in america american
10:14
culture you know when you think about
10:16
you know someone will say to you uh you
10:19
know you know this this guy i saw him i
10:21
looked out my window and those american
10:22
guy just ran by
10:23
it was american guy yeah american guy
10:25
and then a black guy
10:27
ran by you know to me it's like what
10:29
does it mean to have american sketch
10:31
you know what i mean and if we are
10:32
american where do we fit in that
10:34
paradigm
10:35
so with this film i wanted to shift the
10:38
narrative around
10:39
policing in america but also how we're
10:41
perceived in this country
10:43
by everyone you know and and how we sit
10:47
and have a real an honest conversation
10:50
about the things that are taboo the
10:52
things that are stigmatized
10:54
uh and and just add to the conversation
10:56
this movie isn't just doesn't give all
10:58
the solutions because
10:59
there is no magic bullet but what it
11:01
does do is as you said
11:02
it brings everyone to the table you know
11:05
the interesting thing about the system
11:06
the the systemic
11:08
uh uh infrastructure of of of the the
11:11
policing in the in
11:13
and the way that you know they they
11:14
operate is that
11:17
it is it is by the book racist
11:20
it's by the book encouraging of
11:23
of of bias you know and it's been that
11:25
way since the plantation the first
11:27
police were called
11:28
you know patty rollers and and that work
11:31
went into
11:31
patrollers and then out of that we got
11:33
patrol and they patrolled
11:35
the plantation like they patrolled the
11:36
block all of it's connected
11:38
and we've been playing the same tapes
11:41
since then to now
11:42
hoping for a different a different
11:44
outcome without
11:46
having a real systemic change getting in
11:49
there with a wrench and kind of breaking
11:50
something so things change so
11:52
by by linking forcing this conversation
11:54
and as you said giving
11:56
the mic to everyone we get to hear
11:58
thoughts about
11:59
us that circulate the minds of police
12:00
officers all day long
12:02
ones they would never tell us under in
12:04
different circumstances
12:06
ever they kill one of our babies what do
12:08
they do they go back home and they wait
12:10
for their superiors
12:11
they sort out what they're gonna say and
12:12
then two weeks later we're waiting for
12:14
uh you know for them to comment then
12:15
they caught oh yeah well so you know we
12:17
talked about michael brown
12:19
he looked at me and they were like a
12:20
demon in his eyes like what are we
12:22
talking about
12:23
everyone else had to give their
12:24
statement on the day yeah you know so
12:26
what i want to do is do something
12:28
different to create a change you know
12:30
it's like we can't do the same thing
12:32
and expect things to turn out different
12:34
we can't have empty hope where we're
12:36
like we just hope
12:37
these people do something because if not
12:39
we're just handing this problem down to
12:41
our to our to our children and our
12:43
children's children
12:43
and we're not we're not handing down a
12:45
problem like
12:47
uh you know taxes we're handing down
12:49
debt
12:51
without accountability and i don't want
12:53
that for my kids i don't want that for
12:54
your kids i don't want that for the kids
12:55
anyone
12:56
on this call nate parker is here
12:58
american skin is the movie is on all
13:00
digital platforms he's the writer
13:02
director and star of the film
13:04
presented by spike lee how did that
13:05
happen spike's my dude nate
13:08
man spike is my brother you know
13:11
it's an interesting thing as an artist
13:13
you know you and especially for us when
13:14
you're a black artist
13:16
i mean when you're just a black person
13:17
in the united states it feels like you
13:19
have to reinvent the wheel
13:21
with every new injury in generation you
13:23
know you come to the game
13:25
you have to start from scratch we're not
13:26
always afforded
13:28
uh you know nepotism or relationships or
13:31
opportunities because
13:32
we know someone higher up or because the
13:35
ceo of the company's nephews covers
13:37
cousin's brother went to school with us
13:38
we're not always off
13:39
giving those opportunities so to have
13:41
someone like spike that is always asking
13:43
me what i'm doing next what i have going
13:45
on how am i feeling about the world
13:47
what's my art saying to me what did you
13:49
know what is my message i want to put
13:50
out
13:50
he's always you know been like a father
13:53
figure brother
13:54
mentor friend whenever i needed him so
13:56
when this thing got done
13:58
i made this from early 2019 you know
14:01
like this is before george floyd
14:03
you know before all the you know our
14:04
white friends calling saying what can i
14:06
do
14:07
can't believe it's so bad it's been bad
14:09
you know so
14:10
making this film even back then and
14:12
calling spike and saying spike
14:14
i made something you know cobble the
14:16
money together it's
14:17
something i think is important for us
14:19
will you watch it he said bring come
14:21
bring it to new york i flew to new york
14:23
uh got a theater screening for him and
14:24
my very close friend stephen soderbergh
14:27
and uh when and it happened to be the
14:29
day i screened it was the day the
14:31
officers got off for the murder of eric
14:32
garner so it was already we were already
14:35
tense
14:36
uh and so we watched the film and he
14:38
just turned to me
14:39
you know and his spike way was like you
14:41
got me whatever you need me to do
14:42
you know and he paced and he yelled he
14:45
was angry we were all angry
14:47
you know and and far too often we're not
14:49
allowed to have one
14:51
justifiable rage and two we're not in a
14:53
position where we can have
14:55
elders like spike said you know what
14:58
wherever you go whatever you need i'm
14:59
there you flew with me to italy
15:01
and uh you know we we went to the venice
15:03
film festival and killed it there had
15:06
you know
15:06
11 minutes standing ovation uh he was
15:08
right there with me so
15:10
he's my brother you know i do anything
15:12
for him man nate parker is here ladies
15:14
and gentlemen i'm gonna take your call
15:15
to 888-742-3345 hb
15:19
hb hb been gone for about a week nate so
15:22
she she went vote for the vacation and
15:24
so this would be her first question
15:26
on her first interview back man i'm so
15:29
honored i'm
15:30
honored i'm ready brother i'm on it
15:32
thank you so much um because swaying the
15:34
morning is a live show and obviously the
15:37
significance
15:38
of today i'm watching the inauguration
15:41
live
15:41
nate and i just saw a very powerful
15:44
image of
15:45
first lady michelle obama and vice
15:47
president kamala harris and you know
15:49
just greet each other and it was
15:51
powerful it kind of
15:53
moved me to tears and i was thinking
15:55
about those women
15:57
those those women of color as mothers as
15:59
well
16:00
and all listening to you talk at the
16:02
same time it was so
16:04
surreal like you would like this
16:05
soundtrack as i watched these two women
16:07
greet each other
16:08
and i was wondering with all your
16:10
research and all your work and
16:12
everything that you was doing with this
16:13
opportunity right now that you have
16:15
to speak to so many mothers right now
16:18
what would you say to them because the
16:21
bottom line
16:22
is that women are losing their sons
16:25
at an alarming rate and we're not always
16:28
there to hug them and lift them up and
16:30
hold their bags while they grieve and do
16:32
different things
16:34
with everything that you now know what
16:36
what would you say to mothers out there
16:38
that are losing their son to have to
16:39
pray for their sons when they walk out
16:41
the door every day
16:43
well i would say this i would say your
16:45
work is not in vain
16:46
you know when i think of black women and
16:48
what they mean to our community it makes
16:50
me emotional because it goes way back
16:52
you know a lot of people don't
16:53
understand that
16:54
when we say the black woman is the
16:56
backbone of our family and our community
16:58
we don't mean you know in the 21st
17:01
century 20th century
17:03
i mean this goes back to when you know
17:06
when we're on a plantation we needed
17:07
food
17:08
you know the demand didn't go you know
17:11
our
17:12
our sisters our mothers went they kept
17:14
us fed they kept us protected when
17:16
when it went in an overseer or something
17:18
you know strictly he tried to strip the
17:20
humanity of a black man and he looked
17:21
him in the eye
17:22
it was a black woman that came that went
17:24
and fixed that you know we can go even
17:26
further back to
17:27
the to the uh to the village uh
17:31
and and the matriarch of a woman like
17:33
with the the strength that is
17:34
represented not only in the image of
17:36
what you see
17:37
but in the the distance they they've
17:40
carried us
17:40
as as as a family is uh is something
17:43
that of a marvel
17:44
you know they they're we are super the
17:47
woman that that
17:48
is uh keeping the family together is
17:50
just as important
17:52
to me as the woman that is moving into
17:54
that white house they're all
17:55
the same when it comes to the work and
17:57
the heroism that exists and then as
18:00
as as matriarchs as as as the backbone
18:03
of who we are so i would tell those
18:05
those those those sisters those mothers
18:08
that
18:09
you have an army that is fighting we're
18:11
fighting with our art
18:12
just like you sway heather you all
18:14
fighting with your journalism
18:16
like as long as i got breadth of my
18:19
lungs
18:20
i'm gonna create art that's that that i
18:23
hope
18:23
contributes to shifting the narrative in
18:25
a real way
18:26
you know the one thing we don't have as
18:28
a community isn't or else you know and
18:30
if you pay attention to that film
18:33
we stand up in a real way you know what
18:35
i mean the world is still the world
18:37
you know what i mean anyone that is you
18:38
know we know what the consequences for
18:41
standing up to white supremacy are but
18:43
there are so many people willing to to
18:44
sacrifice
18:45
everything i give it all up you know and
18:48
i'm not alone there's so many people
18:50
like i said i'm just an
18:50
artist but there are people like black
18:52
lives matter the work they're doing
18:54
color change brian stevenson like i said
18:56
you journalists there are people
18:57
on the ground every day that are working
18:59
and this film is
19:01
while it is an educational tool it is
19:04
also a cautionary tale
19:05
you take the wrong person's child
19:08
ain't no telling what they're going to
19:10
do there's just no telling
19:12
so i'm hoping to give it give this as a
19:15
gift
19:16
to america to say okay watch this and
19:19
watch it carefully
19:20
because we care about our children we
19:23
care about our grieving
19:24
mothers and our grieving fathers and
19:25
you're not going to take mind
19:27
so take this as as as
19:30
food for thought take it as a cautionary
19:32
tale take it as preventative maintenance
19:35
because for those women that right
19:36
because right now right right now
19:37
michael brown's mom she may not even be
19:39
in look at this interview
19:40
but she's thinking about her son tamir
19:42
rice right now
19:44
samia rice's mother wherever she is she
19:46
might not be able to get out of bed
19:47
today
19:48
trayvon martin like brianna taylor's
19:51
family right
19:52
now wherever they are you can bet
19:55
you set your alarm for three o'clock in
19:56
the morning tomorrow there will be a
19:58
mother
19:59
many mothers and fathers grieving for
20:01
their child is gone
20:02
and all they were told was it was
20:04
nobody's fault
20:05
those days are over they're just over
20:08
you know and i think this
20:10
administration plays a part uh but as we
20:13
evoke king we must remember his words he
20:15
said no you know he said no
20:16
lincolnian emancipation proclamation
20:18
will bring about our freedom
20:20
yeah we have to assert our own manhood
20:22
and womanhood
20:23
this is on us you know we need to be
20:26
less concerned about how white people
20:27
see us and more concerned about how
20:28
we've been conditioned to see ourselves
20:30
around nothing we can't do you know what
20:32
i'm saying without
20:33
consolidating nothing you can't do it yo
20:35
that right there
20:36
that that right there and even in
20:39
prioritizing it thank you nate
20:40
thank you love it and even one of the
20:44
standout lines in the movie you wrote
20:46
was i'm paraphrasing but why are we
20:48
doing no talents
20:54
he's not even prefacing it i'm snitching
20:56
damn it american skin i'm telling it all
20:59
because that
21:06
why are we the only people that's
21:07
expected to protest
21:10
peacefully and those days
21:13
y'all man folks would have had it up to
21:15
here
21:16
they don't have it yeah and you know
21:18
what look and i don't want to get in
21:20
trouble
21:21
but you know who doesn't doesn't take
21:24
anyone bucking on them for nothing
21:26
america
21:27
america we will send a drone on your ass
21:29
do not play around
21:31
right we'll blow your whole your whole
21:35
building everyone in the building is
21:36
gone
21:37
on the strength that's america everyone
21:39
that's the reality is is we are the only
21:42
people that have to play that game you
21:45
kill our baby then you get us to calm
21:46
everyone down
21:48
they're no conversations about and and
21:50
and if we really get mad what do you do
21:52
like man let's bring basketball back
21:54
asap
21:56
wow now we're all distracted and this is
21:58
not an indictment on any
21:59
anyone except the system that
22:01
perpetuates this
22:02
we just have to pay attention we have so
22:05
much power
22:06
we have economic power like we like you
22:08
saw what the pandemic did when that but
22:10
when the pandemic started hitting people
22:12
right they said okay
22:14
what can we do all right wait we look we
22:15
don't have sports we're not gonna make
22:16
this bread
22:17
first people they brought back they
22:19
weren't thinking about
22:20
safety people were still getting the
22:23
virus
22:24
we got to pay attention you know what i
22:26
mean that's all you know and again like
22:28
i said i
22:28
i don't have all the answers i'm just an
22:31
artist man i'm just
22:32
nina simone said the artist's job is to
22:34
reflect the times paul robertson said an
22:36
artist must decide if he will fight for
22:38
liberation or bondage i've made my
22:39
choice
22:40
these are the people that i look up to
22:42
and and i'm not the only one
22:44
you know there are artists out there
22:45
just doing the work i just want to do my
22:47
part
22:48
you know have these legacy moments when
22:50
i'm on my deathbed and hopefully
22:51
very old and surrounded by my you know
22:54
kids grandkids great grandkids great
22:56
great grandkids
22:57
i can know that i got handed them
22:59
something in in this in this
23:00
society that's a little different
23:03
however slight
23:04
because i i have my receipts on that i
23:06
did my best with what
23:08
i had you know i love it nate parker is
23:11
here man tracy you want to jump on that
23:12
yes please please please nate again
23:16
to what heather sway are saying thank
23:18
you for just exploring these
23:19
uncomfortable truths
23:20
and making them into productions that
23:23
are going to
23:24
outlive the initial audience and outlive
23:26
you so that
23:27
we no longer pass down trauma in
23:30
addition to injustice
23:32
um when you were bringing up how you
23:35
wanted to bring multiple
23:37
people to this table of conversation i
23:39
couldn't help but
23:40
think about when you're filming this
23:42
obviously
23:43
you know these grand conversations i'm
23:45
sure are happening
23:46
between you and the rest of your cast um
23:49
they're obviously happening with those
23:51
who are watching it
23:53
but i wonder are they also happening
23:55
with
23:56
the behind the scenes people who often
23:58
aren't
23:59
mentioned when a movie comes up you know
24:01
like uh like a line producer like
24:03
whoever's doing like color correction
24:05
there's
24:05
so many people behind the scenes
24:08
who may be introduced to this
24:10
conversation for the very first time
24:12
just because they happen to be on the
24:14
set did those type of combos happen
24:18
all the time especially on my side it
24:20
seems i find myself in situations where
24:22
i'm always telling stories that are
24:23
about
24:24
dealing with trauma and honest
24:26
confrontation you know one of the things
24:28
we did in this film
24:29
constantly when it got really hard and
24:32
you'd see like an extra just breakdown
24:34
crying or an actor just need a moment
24:36
we would just you know call cut and we
24:39
would just have a conversation how you
24:40
feel what's going on what's in your mind
24:42
you know um one of the things we're able
24:44
to do is a lot of those
24:45
uh inmates that you saw and i'm not
24:47
going to tell you where they were uh it
24:49
says in the trailer so the inmates you
24:50
saw
24:51
uh they were returning citizens you know
24:53
what i mean we had moe mcrae fantastic
24:55
actor
24:56
uh so he's a real actor but he was
24:57
surrounded by a lot of those men those
24:59
orange suits
25:01
you know you know have been in prison
25:02
you know we rep we had almost 220 years
25:05
represented on this film
25:06
you know so our dip was you know had
25:09
served you know part of a life sentence
25:11
you know i worked with uh scott
25:13
butnick's organization
25:14
anti-recidivism coalition so we had
25:16
people that had gone into prison as
25:18
as children and then he was able to get
25:19
them out you know so you know i thought
25:21
it was very important if we gonna bring
25:22
people to the table i want to bring
25:24
everyone to the table you know what i
25:25
mean like like these returning citizens
25:27
are citizens and they have rights
25:29
and i remember talking to some of them
25:31
and i was like look they just you know
25:32
they've never acted before a lot of them
25:34
the the the hispanic brother never acted
25:36
before
25:37
and you know the brother with the kufion
25:39
never acted before both of them just got
25:41
out
25:42
and i said uh for all the things that
25:43
and all the times you you had your
25:45
humanity stripped by
25:46
an officer or a guard but all the time
25:49
you know you you felt crushed to earth
25:50
here's your opportunity to to to embody
25:53
that
25:54
feeling and express it toward these
25:56
officers you know
25:57
and and so we had a a level of
25:59
authenticity that
26:00
that really created an emotionally
26:03
charged environment more often than not
26:06
so we had to often take breaks and we
26:07
talk about like people way behind the
26:09
scenes
26:10
like when i hire people you know anyone
26:12
that works with me knows that i won't
26:13
hire anyone unless i can meet with them
26:15
so i know that all the energy that i'm
26:17
bringing to the table is
26:18
is not only positive but it's an
26:20
alignment you know like i don't want
26:21
people
26:22
coming to work like you said a line
26:23
producer the lawn producer doesn't care
26:25
about black people
26:26
and he's on this job then the work i get
26:28
from from that person that him or her
26:30
is going to be very different if it's
26:31
someone that that understands that
26:34
by them playing their part they're
26:35
contributing to the narrative of the
26:36
film
26:37
and the hope that it'll have an impact
26:39
so you know
26:40
so many talks i have even you know with
26:43
casper
26:43
twinkie bird fantastic casting director
26:46
we talked about this film
26:47
for hours and hours and hours you know
26:49
because we have a we
26:51
both have we share a relationship with
26:53
the trauma
26:54
um that you know with being in this
26:56
country whatever the job we're doing so
26:58
it's a fantastic question because a lot
26:59
of people that that contribute the hours
27:01
into the project
27:02
they never get seen they never get heard
27:04
and no one really asked
27:05
how they feel or were they in alignment
27:07
but we were very very blessed
27:10
to have a group of people all throughout
27:12
the film and
27:13
on in front of the camera behind the
27:14
camera even our investors
27:16
producers who were who were you know
27:18
understood like this is bigger than a
27:20
moment this is bigger than
27:21
box office or any numbers this is about
27:24
getting this thing in front of people so
27:25
we can really
27:26
face this down and break the break these
27:28
bonds these bondage this bondage
27:31
they parker come on man um american skin
27:33
great question
27:35
tracy g nate i got callers bro and uh we
27:38
got to go through a couple i know you
27:39
got to go
27:40
i know your time is limited but they've
27:41
been waiting
27:43
i've been waiting to get on with you
27:44
brother i'm good that's what i thought
27:46
you know
27:46
my shout out to your
27:50
press department let them know um they
27:52
know what it is
27:53
all right jasmine is in jasmine is in
27:57
iowa grand rises jasmine how are you
27:59
hi hey jess good how are you doing well
28:02
say hello tonight
28:03
so so tonight i just wanted to say that
28:06
i really love the movie and
28:08
um i also seen birth of a nation while i
28:10
was in college and it was a semester
28:12
after i took
28:13
um an african-american religion course
28:15
and there were certain things i took
28:17
away from
28:18
that film that i didn't even take away
28:20
from that course so thank you for that
28:22
i also want to say that i really love
28:24
the new movie and
28:26
the way that you have the courage to
28:27
like create films that make people
28:29
uncomfortable
28:30
but still promote you know images that
28:33
they need to see
28:35
um and i just also love the way that she
28:37
showed the perception of
28:39
those that are grieving um it's kind of
28:41
like the idea that we try to get people
28:43
to understand
28:44
when we have these back and forth
28:45
debates about race and
28:47
like talking to a brick wall but i feel
28:49
like you really
28:50
laid that out very nicely thank you
28:54
sister i appreciate you
28:55
i really appreciate you and thank you
28:57
for thank you for those kind words
28:59
jasmine thank you for your call and
29:01
jasmine you got a way different vocal
29:03
tone than i've been getting from nate
29:04
all morning but
29:23
let me do this different jasmine you
29:25
still there
29:32
in the morning okay all right
29:35
we got tariq on the line tariq grand
29:37
rises
29:49
hey i just watched the film last night
29:52
amazing
29:53
amazing amazing film i mean that
29:55
narrative needs to be talked to
29:57
and it hit it hit me special because i'm
29:59
a marine
30:00
i'm a marine i served in iraq i'm not
30:02
serving afghanistan
30:04
and you know saying and it's crazy
30:06
because coming home i come home and i
30:08
see
30:09
i actually came home and noticed the
30:11
craziness going on in america
30:14
and the narrative talking about how how
30:16
the black man needs to be able to step
30:18
down we need to be invoking peace and
30:21
i'm actually overseas
30:22
you know saying they're war like you
30:24
know saying we'd be over here
30:26
we defending the country defending the
30:28
constitution doing what we need to do
30:29
you know say i'm serving
30:30
but the crazy part is we have these
30:32
talks and these these conversations
30:34
about
30:35
you know saying black people in america
30:37
and then the discrepancies and the
30:39
issues that we got that we have to live
30:40
through
30:41
i'm talking about everyday average
30:42
people it's crazy
30:44
and to see that thing or film the
30:46
nuances like the homage to malcolm x
30:49
and there's certain things i can't even
30:51
speak about
30:52
in my command because of the narrative
30:55
and how it's gonna touch people
30:56
like when we start speaking about
30:58
slavery people get upset but the moment
31:00
we talk about the holocaust
31:01
they want to be all included in the
31:03
conversation don't disrespect
31:05
but how you put that thing out there how
31:08
you how you introduced it
31:10
like just everything from the prisoners
31:12
to the cops
31:13
the different nuances from the family
31:15
members man it was so amazing
31:17
like hey brother uh anything any type of
31:19
like community service event that you're
31:21
doing please
31:22
put that out there i want to be a part
31:23
of america that thing needs to be talked
31:25
about
31:26
this conversation needs to be brought to
31:27
life and not just on film it needs to be
31:29
happening in the communities all day
31:33
man brother well first of all i
31:35
appreciate you brother i love you
31:36
brother
31:37
i appreciate your your service and how
31:40
you're fighting for our freedom on both
31:41
sides of the ball
31:42
you know and making him a marine was to
31:45
evoke
31:46
the experience of you you are lincoln
31:48
jefferson in that respect
31:50
you know on one side you mentioned you
31:52
said you're fighting for the
31:53
constitution
31:54
which is so ironic because this is the
31:56
constitution
31:57
that that people evoke but don't even
32:00
read they don't even know what's in it
32:02
you know they they associate it with
32:04
their privilege and their
32:06
and their uh uh and white supremacy
32:08
without recognizing
32:09
that those words are hurling uh uh
32:13
souls into eternity overseas all for us
32:17
to come back
32:18
not be able to get a job not be
32:19
respected
32:21
uh and have to take you know literally
32:22
take a knee
32:24
to the people that are are controlling
32:26
us intimidating us
32:27
i'll tell you this brother you're the
32:29
fight that you're having right now
32:31
you stand with me you stand with sway
32:33
you stand with everyone or everyone on
32:35
this call it's going to take a certain
32:36
level of solidarity
32:38
not just the film but the conversations
32:40
that will lead to actions
32:42
so people when you come home you're
32:44
celebrated
32:45
right but you're also coming home and
32:48
feeling like you fought for something
32:49
that applies to you as well
32:50
we fought in everywhere we fought in a
32:52
revolutionary war you mean to tell me
32:54
you fought from the revolutionary war
32:56
all the way up until now we've been
32:58
lynched in uniform when
32:59
they came back in world war ii they were
33:01
told to take off their stripes so they
33:02
wouldn't get
33:03
literally snatched off the ship in lynch
33:05
this is our reality in this country
33:07
the double standards are mind-blowing
33:10
but we gotta talk about it
33:12
just hearing you you talk brother like
33:14
hit me
33:15
it's emotional you know because i wrote
33:17
it based on interviewing people
33:19
interviewing marines
33:20
knowing how they feel we don't treat our
33:22
veterans right and we damn sure don't
33:23
treat
33:24
our black veterans right so brother we
33:27
fighting for you
33:28
stay in the fight and if i'm doing
33:29
something like you know i do events all
33:31
over
33:31
um i've done stuff at mega evers college
33:33
out there in in brooklyn
33:35
uh so i have to open some programs
33:37
brother so you know if you go to
33:39
nateparkerfoundation.org
33:40
you know sign up i'll make sure we we we
33:42
connect with you give you something to
33:44
do
33:45
give you a way to support man because
33:46
it's going to take all on hands on deck
33:48
to shift this narrative
33:49
but i appreciate you bro i love you
33:51
thank you for calling and being
33:52
vulnerable on the call it means
33:53
everything
33:53
and thanks for your service all right
33:55
man you're a citizen brother you're a
33:57
citizen give it up for my man tariq
34:00
you know uh nate before you go i got uh
34:03
mike muse on here mike news is a member
34:05
of the show he covered us all our
34:06
political coverage he gives us
34:08
that insider expertise mike mike you
34:11
there
34:12
yes hey hey mike hey lock that up for me
34:15
oq
34:15
mike i got nate parker on the line oh
34:18
what's up parker how are you doing
34:19
brother
34:21
what's up my man how are you uh it's a
34:23
beautiful day in the neighborhood man
34:25
new day for america in our democracy
34:29
i love that bike okay feeling great okay
34:32
okay hey nate um yeah absolutely we're
34:35
about to let uh free mate up
34:37
um hey nate thank you
34:40
uh for calling in uh there's so much we
34:42
could talk about we'll get to everything
34:44
man i i really
34:45
yeah chapter one yeah this chapter one
34:47
uh
34:48
continued success to you uh you you're
34:52
definitely in our prayers
34:54
i i i enjoy the work you're doing and i
34:57
enjoy the person
34:58
uh you beco you be you become you know
35:01
uh watching you grow
35:03
watching your steps you've been taking
35:05
you know we see you
35:06
we see you that's right brother thank
35:09
you heather thank you tracy like
35:11
thank you i appreciate y'all y'all do
35:13
the work every single day like i said
35:15
every 18 months i'm popping out of films
35:17
a lot of work
35:18
but on the ground y'all are doing the
35:19
work you're speaking to the issues
35:21
uh and y'all says this is a special day
35:23
for y'all sisters on the line right now
35:25
as you see yourself reflected
35:27
uh in this nation so i just want to let
35:29
you know i honor you
35:30
i appreciate you um what you represent
35:33
to our country and the struggle in this
35:35
country
35:36
we will never be able to to thank you
35:38
enough you know and so as we as we
35:41
watch this event today you know you are
35:43
you you too specifically because you're
35:45
on this
35:45
this call i'm interacting with y'all
35:47
y'all will be top of my mind
35:49
because of a win for for our first lady
35:52
uh you know a win for for for kamala
35:55
uh our new first vice president um that
35:58
that win
35:59
is shared and and and the representation
36:01
that you guys give us on this show and
36:02
the journalism that you do every day so
36:04
i appreciate y'all it's a it's a happy
36:06
day thank you there you go nate parker
36:08
man we'll stay in touch i'm gonna get
36:09
your number from oh
36:10
okay oh for sure get that hit me okay
36:13
great kirk peace nate parker give up for
36:15
nate parker
36:16
come on hey nate you still there did he
36:19
hang up
36:27
[Music]
36:35
so
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