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Im in Brooklyn, in Flatbush.
I live with my husband and my dog in an apartment.
I work from home, and my husband is also working from home.
We have enough space, basically, to not lose ourselves.
Im working on a movie about a woman in her late 20s.
Ive been writing a lot.
Going to protests actually helps a lot to get back into the groove of things.
I was supposed to be traveling throughout April.
It felt like there were a lot of eyes on my work.
There were so many times when stuff would come onto my timelines that was aboutSelah.
I loved when memes would pop up, that was my favorite thing to ever happen to me.
It got big on TikTok, which was so random.
Theyd take the audio of Selahs spirit squad monologue and lip-sync to it.
Ive definitely felt more normal since the protests have started.
The energy of other people I had missed that in a huge way.
I go out [to protest] sometimes.
Other times I dont.
I stay until I feel anxious.
When that latent anxiety creeps in, I just go home.
Were trying to stay alive on multiple fronts.
Its a long fight.
Im not trying to burn out.
Why does the movement suddenly feel like it has legs that it hasnt had in a while?
Its a moment of extreme communal focus.
People will just go back and protest more, which is what happened and has been happening.
What happened tomorrow is that we were out in the streets.
There hasnt been any Ah, yes, the revolution has arrived moment.
Its more just every day I find myself being surprised by something.
Im surprised that people are speaking up about their viewpoints on prison abolition.
There are people, everyday regular people, who are sounding like my Pan-Africanist revolutionary parents.
Thats shocking to me.
Im surprised by somebody being called out who I never expected to be called out.
Im surprised by artists standing in their truth and speaking about how theyre treated in the industry.
Ive been watchingI May Destroy You, by Michaela Coel, on HBO.
Michaela Coel, I hope you know how smart I think you are.
Ive thought shes been brilliant since day one.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge shes hilarious, great.
But I never watchedFleabagand thought,This is so me.
I just really love it and enjoy the characters.
It feels really grounding and affirming.
Also, its just fun and beautiful.
Thats been carrying me.
I was having such a hard time.
Imagine if Kasi Lemmons had all of the opportunities to succeed that Paul Thomas Anderson had.
Theres definitely plenty of room for Hollywood to reckon with its past.
This isnt a coincidence.
This is on purpose, a deliberate lack of support for certain people.
Obviously, there have been initiatives fellowships, programs, and diversity this and that.
But the issue isnt hiring enough interns, hiring enough PAs.
Think about how hard it is to get Black hair and makeup artists.
Thats by design, thats not an accident.
Theres so many things that need to change.
At least, I hope because I love when things change for the better.
I feel like hope is a word that feels empty now because its basically its own brand.
That said, I feel very genuinely hopeful.
I do feel as though there is a sense among a lot of us of just … impatience.
When people are impatient, theyre ready to shove you aside and say,Fine, Ill do it.
I do feel hopeful.
