Survival in hollywood while being Black

    One major obstacle in choosing the entertainment field as a career, is family and friends. You have absolutely no idea how they are going to respond to your “choice”. Let me give you a hint on what to expect, it’s more draining emotionally than anything you may done. Overall, you may have close to 20 family members that you know, love, and talk to on the regular. From the other ones, “let the lecture begins”, they want to talk you out of it.
    The most interesting fact about choosing entertainment, mainly acting, as a career, is the environment people come from. Once you made your decision, the lectures from everyone begins. All comments are indirect but reading between their lines says, “have you lost your mind?” With every intention on talking to you to straighten you out about obtaining a real job to sustain yourself. Once you made your decision, the lectures from everyone begins. All comments are indirect but reading between their lines says, “Have you lost your mind?” Whereas, I am here to break it down to you on the differences of the families, environment, cultures, when it comes to this important choice of your life. For example, white families they are so obliging that they offer their kids to stay at home. Sometimes, rent free. A few don’t even have jobs, or a very small part time job. Then, there are those families who are fighting some long standing argument and make it the most important decision, or they will die. Never get involve with entertainment as a career out of emotions. Bad move. Making life altering decisions, or any kind of decisions, without your emotions in check can be disastrous. Somewhere, down the line of life, you will regret every bit of that decisions.
    Enough of that, let’s look at the Black families; majority of them will tell you, “hell no”, to your face if you bring up being a theatre major while in college, even after you graduate, the performing arts is not a job. It’s a phase to black families. Due to black history in the states, and conditioning by white people through the years. Black people didn’t make a choice in becoming an entertainer, they kind of fell into it. Somebody saw them perform, then ask them if they wanted to be in “show business”. The rest is history. Matter of fact, I can tell you what that conversation will be like;
You: Hey mom/dad, I want to major in Theatre/film at school.
Parents: What for?
You: I want to act, write. You always said I can act.
Parents: What kind of job you expect to get with that?
You: Acting.
Parents: Not with my money. You better major in something else. Something you can get a job with.
You: That’s not what I want to do. You seen me in the plays at school. You all said I’m good enough. You all always liked me in those.
Parents: So what? So you think you’re Denzel now. Hell no, sir. You going to study something else that really matters. That makes money, so you can get out of my house, or stay and pay rent.
    Black families have never believed in entertainment as a steady job. But it does make a good hobby on the side, if your current job makes enough money for you. Or, you can actually support your own family, as the only job choice. Negro please.  Black actors you see on TV/Film from years gone by will tell you it wasn’t easy to get in by way of parents. When the first gig became  a second gig, and then, the third gig. They were able to prove to their parents that this was a real job, making good money, then, they received their blessing from them on. Not to mention, the doubting family members who didn’t believe in you, No one can escape that, once you made it, they want some. From graduating college , to a career choice, the performing arts is the hardest and most ridiculous profession a young Black person could ever choose. For White kids, it doesn’t matter, they can do anything and their folks will send them money. It’s pretty accurate no matter how you slice it. Most people don’t think about how good they have it until it’s gone.
    Here’s the point, for both groups of people, with parents you are going to have to have a “sit down”. Explain what you feel is the right career choice for you. If you don’t, there is going to be a lot of animosity between you and your parents. Trust me, you don’t want that. I’ve been through it. Do the “sit down”, just be prepared to answer all kinds of questions. Because the entertainment business is one the hardest businesses to get into. Due to a lot of variables that doesn’t make any sense but we watch the finish product everyday. Your parents will ask you all the easy stuff first, but your answers will come off like Astro- Physics. They will have that look in their faces like deer in headlights. Just don’t let them hit you.
    For a fact, when I explained how an audition went to my Dad, cousin, or brother. Their response is usually: “that’s great, then, you should have the job.” I would respond with exactly what they are looking for, what the other person did, what I may have forgotten during the audition. They each would look at me like I was making excuses on why I skipped gym class. See, its not easy to explain to civilians on how a Casting Director, Modeling agent, Producer, Director, Writer or whoever, thinks. It’s calling the shots, on how they think when casting a person. With that bit of info, your folks somewhat understand what you are going through. Also, never take anyone to an audition. It is bad ju-ju. Casting person sees that unregistered face out both you go.
    Here is something else that will frustrate the hell out of you. After telling them how it went, and don’t get the job. They will automatically think you messed it up on purpose. Your Grandmother will actually think you're a screw-up and will purposely mess up a job that your feel is right for you. Grandma has not heard a word you said, instead, you are officially a “Screw-Up”. In Vegas, I had audition for the Star Trek site twice, didn’t the job on either tries. They were very good auditions I say so myself. At the end of the audition, one casting head kept me afterwards to find out more of my Star Trek knowledge. I told him everything. He like me, but he was out voted on hiring me for the tour position. When I got home to tell my Dad how it went. Believe ti or not, he actually said, “you must have done something wrong.” Can you believe that shit? I did nothing but audition, answer questions, shook hands, and went home. The rest is up to the casting directors. This is what I’m telling you is going to happen throughout your career. Blame. Rejection. Your family and friends will constantly be handing blame and rejection. If you want to be an actor, you must develop a thick skin, great sense of humor. A sick humor. High self esteem, no ego, no drama, and most importantly, to save that shit for when you get home. You will get shit from every angle, and if you don’t know how to handle it appropriately. Then, this is not career for you. This job will break you, if you let it. No doubt about id. If you give up because it’s hard, don’t do it. Someone tells you how much they think you suck, and you quit after that. Again, don’t do this.
    With the Criminal Justice/Law field; when in doubt, throw it out. Many times I wanted to throw in the towel, but no way was I going to give in to negative impulses. Negative thinking from an Aunt, brother, some cousins, and friends. You have to let that shit go, sometimes let a lot go. Because if you let it bring you down, you will doubt yourself, and for each and every venture out the door.