Following Queen Latifah’s rom-com”Just Wright”, we will have another Romantic Comedy coming to us with a Black woman as one of the leads in ”Jumping the Broom”. The film stars Paula Patton, Laz Alonso and Angela Bassett. The cast is rounded off by Mike Epps, Loretta Devine and Romeo Miller.

“Helmed by Salim Akil, the romantic comedy focuses on a weekend wedding in Martha’s Vineyard where two families of different socioeconomic backgrounds clash during their first meeting before the event.

The script was penned by Arlene Gibbs and Elizabeth Hunter, who will also produce with T.D. Jakes, Curtis Wallace, Tracey Edmonds and Glendon Palmer and is slated for theatrical release on May 6, 2011

Read more: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021378.html?categoryId=4026&cs=1#ixzz0v6aA7lWi

One of my favorite sayings is “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”. It applies to everything – including films.

Over and over again I’ve been frustrated with the images or lack thereof of Black women on the big screen. Like many of you I’ve longed for universal stories with lead characters who happen to look like me and wondered why Hollywood has refused to do anything about it despite the many “squeaky wheels” expressing my exact sentiments.

Then I realized that perhaps to the major studio’s we are not perceived as squeaky wheels at all! For example, we will go out en masse to the support the latest blockbusters, indie films and romantic comedies that take place in a world where Black women either do not exist or exist solely to fulfill some sad stereotype. So it is completely understandable for the Hollywood big shots to keep doing what they’re doing all the way to the bank!

However, my point is not to discourage you from spending money on movies you want to see simply because the lead characters aren’t Black. My point is that if you want the “oil” you’ve got to squeak with your dollars!

That means supporting movies with black women that do not paint us all with one broad stroke of the paintbrush. It can also mean supporting those catering to you by spreading the word to others who may just not be aware of these films that lack the millions in P&A to market themselves!

What do you do when your dream lies in the hands of people whom you do not know, have access to or have no incentive/care to help you make them come true?

1. Give up and move on? (After all dreams are things you fantasize about, they don’t actually come true!)
2. Play by all the “rules” and hope to be one of the lucky few to catch a break
3. Forget about all the constraints and what you think you cannot do. Instead, make your own rules and forge ahead!

Since every day people’s dreams are realized and playing by the rules essentially means waiting for others to give you the power and permission to take action (which would take a very long time), I choose the later.

And as evidenced by Quentin Tarantino, Tyler Perry, Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith, Will Packer, Rob Hard (Rainforest Films) and countless others who have found immense success in the business upon doing “it” themselves (DIY), the upsides to creating on your own terms are tremendous.

Once the above mentioned individuals took matters into their own hands and showed that they could connect to an audience and find success without the system’s millions to back them up, that’s when the power brokers sat up and payed attention. As Tim Gunn would say, you have to “make it work” – “it” being whatever resources you’ve got!

And that’s exactly what this project is about. I know the types of movies I long to see on the big screen and since the folks writing those movies seem to be stuck waiting for Hollywood to greenlight their projects, I have decided to follow the lead of.

If you’ve found this blog it could very well mean that you are one of the very people I have written this project for!

When you stop waiting and asking for permission and start doing everything will come together. I implore you to join me on this journey to living my dreams.

It is my desire to create stories that will touch others, open our minds and entertain.