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Kwame on i may destroy you3/11/2023 ![]() ![]() Some people attach a lot of importance to it. "I think, especially for Black women, our hair plays quite a role for us. In that moment, Terry's fear is so palpable, forcing us to see how unseen her experiences as a Black woman, a woman of color, are. While auditioning for a beauty gig, the two white women producers whimsically ask Terry to reveal her natural hair. "I liked the hybrid of Araba, which is a Ghanaian name, and Bella which is a European word and there was a previous version of the script that was cut where a character was asking Arabella 'where is your name from?' and she says that her mom wanted to give her a Ghanaian name but also give her a European flurry to it so that she might get further in British society than she did."īecause I May Destroy You doesn't confront racial issues head on, the spotlight on race shines through Arabella's alliance with a problematic white woman classmate, who is also a survivor, and, most notably, through Terry's experiences as an aspiring actress. That twoness is embedded in her character Arabella's name. But I also think there are so many people within the UK that are in that same twoness that it creates a oneness because we are each a tribe of diaspora and, within that, we've made our own oneness. And then when I go to Ghana, people can tell by the way I walk alone that I am not living in Ghana or born in Ghana they can tell. DuBois is most-identified, Coel tells OkayAfrica, "Yes there is a twoness there in that, here, obviously, we are a minority in the UK. When asked if, in her own life, she feels the twoness or double consciousness for which the Black American and Pan Africanist W.E.B. Michaela Coel on being both African and British What we see in Arabella's story is a universal experience that is usually reflected through a white lens only, when, in reality, no woman is immune to the scourge of sexual violence. One of the series' triumphs is its ability to highlight the Black immigrant experience in England, as well as the Black experience overall in the way that it matters most-as regular, everyday life. I May Destroy You is far from whitewashed. So it's within the context of Arabella's story that we gain insight into theirs.įocusing internally does not mean ignoring racial realities. All of this intersects with her personal friendships with Terry and Kwame. In addition, she is moved to share her story, in ways not so convenient for her career or, at times, her friendships, as well as use her voice, particularly through social media, to champion other survivors in a way that is intended to give them a voice of their own. Finding her rapist even takes on a life of its own, with the investigation revealing ugly truths about some of the men in her life. ![]() Going forward she becomes way more sensitive to issues of sex and consent. It certainly affects her sex and dating life. It's a three-dimensional portrait of life centered around the aftermath of Arabella's sexual assault delivered with both drama and humor. In addition to Arabella's story, the series explores Kwame's experiences as a gay man, as well as friendship and loyalty, particularly as it relates to Terry and Arabella who have been close chums since they were schoolgirls. There are, of course, instances where a racial context is unavoidable, but it never drives the narrative. Unlike many series of this profile from a Black creator, I May Destroy You does not revolve around racism, even as a sub-theme. Michaela Coel as Arabella in 'I May Destroy You,' streaming on HBO and BBC One. And as more people begin to discover I May Destroy You through binging, appreciation for Coel's influence and impact will only grow. ![]() So I May Destroy You is her story and her vision. It's a control she received accidentally when she famously turned down Netflix for not giving her a small percentage of her own copyright. That we know only happens as a result of Coel having complete creative control amplified by also directing and producing the series. Yet Coel's I May Destroy You aired in the UK in June on BBC One and in the US throughout the summer on HBO with Coel herself starring, along with two Black co-stars. Typically when shows center issues like sexual assault, Black people are rarely even in the picture, let alone driving the storyline. And she is being widely recognized and celebrated for it on both sides of the pond. ![]() Bravely using her real-life experience of sexual assault at a London club as a springboard, Coel, already beloved for Chewing Gum, created a game-changing series challenging our society to adapt to the 21st century realities of sexual assault amid a hookup and drug culture. With I May Destroy You, her latest series, she doubles down on that creative impulse, validating not only her story, but those of others to come. Michaela Coel knows how to tell her story her way. ![]()
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