The Color Purple: For the Culture

I haven’t seen the movie yet. I’m looking forward to seeing it on Christmas day. I just watched the film’s television special on OWN, and as I see various comments about the movie on social media, I have the following thoughts.

I so appreciate all of the love and adoration I’ve seen thus far about the new movie. It’s so refreshing to read how people are enjoying it. But I’m certainly also seeing a lot of the opposite. In my opinion, much too much of the opposite from Us.

My People, I know it’s in us innately to want to be critical and pick things we experience apart. And yes, this is a movie. Some will like it and others won’t. That’s valid. But I implore, can we as a People please just deaden that strong urge to pick this film apart, and just appreciate everything it means and represents for Us? When folks say “for the culture,” this is 100% that.

The Color Purple, including this new cinematic interpretation and adaptation, is so meaningful. For this Black book and these Black characters written by a Black woman, Alice Walker, to go from one film, then to Broadway, now another film is truly phenomenal for the culture. It is historic for the culture. It is unprecedented for the culture. It is for Us, by Us. It is sanctified for the culture.

Let’s not forget this as we watch the film. If you don’t like it, don’t like the characters/actors/actresses/music/production, don’t care for this modern interpretation, that’s ok. But this time, my People, let’s just collectively pay homage and give this project our collective appreciation. Let’s resist the urge to jump first to the negative. Let’s resist the urge to publicly pick it apart critically.

I say, let’s collectively celebrate this moment for the culture. We get so few of these moments as a People, especially in entertainment. The Color Purple is a cultural phenomenon. And it is solidly for the culture!