Posted by The Durham Herald Sun By ARTELIA COVINGTON, The Herald-Sun The Rev. Paul Scott of Durham is not new to protests.
on 7/19/2001, 10:51 pm
Minister hits hood movies
June 24, 2001
In 1997, he led a protest that got Phat Boy malt liquor taken off
shelves. Last year, he launched a protest against the CBS "Jesus" miniseries
that aired on CBS and portrayed Christ as white. Scott believes Jesus
was black.
Lately, Scott has renewed his crusade against what he calls "hood"
films -- movies that he says glorify black-on-black violence and perpetuate
demeaning or harmful stereotypes of black people. Scott recently wrote
an article titled "Hollyhood and the Pimping of Black Death."
"The purpose is to get the African-American community to say that they
will not support films of this nature," said Scott.
Scott, 34, has been crusading for positive images of black people for
10 years. The N.C. Central University graduate in English and media
journalism uses the Internet as his pulpit. His New Righteous Movement
boasts only a moderate following locally but a large one nationally, he
says.
Scott is quick to say that the New Righteous Movement is not a church.
"A lot of people think that a church has to have four walls. We have
taken the walls away," he said.
His protest against "hood films" has received encouragement from
real-life convicted criminals, he said.
"I get a lot of letters from inmates who are on death row," said Scott.
"It is on behalf of these prisoners that I stage this protest, because
they know what that life is like."
According to Scott, the black image has been prostituted by Hollywood.
"Being a minister, it is my job to tell the truth, and I dont like the
negative images of African-Americans that I am seeing," said Scott.
Such films encourage gang violence, he said.
"I trace all of the gang activity that we are seeing directly to the
hood films," he said.
Growing up in Roanoke Rapids, Scott said, he didnt see gang violence,
but then, neither was there much exhortation for blacks to redeem their
culture from centuries of exploitation and hate.
"I didnt see a lot of leaders speaking about the issues that I thought
were important," said Scott.
Hearing the Rev. Jesse Jackson speak at N.C. Central University led him
down the path towards activism.
"That stuck with me 10 years after the fact," said Scott.
He hasnt had to put much money into his campaigns, he said.
"The Phat Boy campaign cost me $5," said Scott. "I bought a bottle to
display. Thats one of the keys to guerrilla activism -- you use what
you have around you."
He launched his latest protest to coincide with the summer movie
season.
"Of course, the protest is going to raise awareness, but the ultimate
goal is to tell the Hollywood executives that the black community will
no longer except the hood films," he said. "Each time they throw us a
hood film, then we will throw it back at them."
He singles out for criticism director John Singletons latest film,
"Baby Boy." Singleton also directed the 1991 film "Boyz N the Hood."
"A tree is known by the fruit it bears. What fruit did the movie bear?"
said Scott. "It spawned 10 years of gang violence."
Scott says he doesnt think audiences would respond warmly to a film
about Nat Turner, a slave who led a revolt in Southampton County, Va.,
that killed 55 white people, including Turners owner.
"The same people who are screaming freedom of speech would be screaming
bloody murder," said Scott.
COPYRIGHT 2001 by The Durham Herald Company. All rights reserved.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread