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Hoteps Hotepping
Photo: "Hoteps Hotepping" by RadhaMUSprime

Nat Turner’s name and revolution will forever be associated with Nate Parker and that makes me incredibly sad. Birth of a Nation shined a light on issues within our community and outsiders got a chance to see those issues play out firsthand on social media. In 1999, when he was a college student at Penn State University, Parker stood trial on rape charges. Parker was suspended from Penn State University, and yes, he was ultimately acquitted of all charges and reinstated. However, the verdict doesn’t take away the fact that many people (myself included) read the transcripts and were disgusted that the legal system denied a rape victim justice. Parker’s alleged victim never recovered and later committed suicide in 2012. Documents obtained by Variety revealed the alleged victim suffered from depression and PSTD and she also admitted in court that she attempted suicide twice after reporting the alleged rape. The logic from a large number of black men is: “He was found not guilty. He is innocent.” But, if we’re using that faulty logic, shouldn’t we also apply that logic when it comes to George Zimmerman? Why not? Zimmerman, who was found not guilty of killing Trayvon Martin, has maintained his innocence. Do you believe he’s innocent? It has never been clearer that black men put their faith in the justice system—when it’s skewed for other black men.

Parker co-wrote a historically inaccurate biopic about Turner with his friend and former codefendant, Jean Celestin. Parker stated he wanted to put the trial behind him, yet I found it strange he would write a movie with Celestin. Why would Parker write a movie with his former co-defendant, if he were trying to put the past behind him? But hey to each their own. What sent my stomach into knots, however, was learning that Parker and Celestin wrote two unfounded storylines of rape in the movie. The rapes, while not shown onscreen, were implied and used as the catalyst for Tuner’s revolt. That’s not anything remotely close to what Turner wrote in his confessions. Are you telling me that slavery, oppression, and the black suffering shown in the film couldn’t sell Turner’s uprising? The rape of two black women had to be inserted? Yes, slaves were raped but these specific incidents were never mentioned by Turner himself. I believe that this was the turning point. A majority of black women threw in the towel, and decided we could no longer support Parker nor this film. For our stance, our refusal to support Turner, black women were dragged on social media and blog pages. I kept asking myself, “Why are black women expected to support any and everything concerning the black man?” In real life, overall black men don’t support us but we need to support a film, because it is the “right thing to do.” Putting black men, no matter their faults or missteps is always ‘’the right thing to do.’’ Rape isn’t an exception.

This brought out the hoteps in full force. The ankh wearing, shea butter deficient, black women blaming Ashy Dick Army, also known as hoteps, made sure that their voices were heard. I was called a coon, mammy, and bedwench for refusing to support an inaccurate film depiction made by two suspected rapists. Hoteps drummed up this big conspiracy against Parker and swore that the white man didn’t want this movie to succeed because it shows black people fighting for black liberation. The film depicted black trauma, but didn’t show any violence towards white slave owners. If I recall, a white owned studio bought the rights to this film, or did hoteps not get the memo in Hotep Weekly that Fox Searchlight was founded by a white man, and is currently owned by Rupert Murdoch? Fox Searchlight even released a statement in support of Parker. In a statement last week, the studio said: “Fox Searchlight is aware of the incident that occurred while Nate Parker was at Penn State. We also know that he was found innocent and cleared of all charges. We stand behind Nate and are proud to help bring this important and powerful story to the screen.” So, explain how a white owned studio, that put its faith and money behind Parker, is also the reason it failed? The level of ignorance that hoteps spew is epic and wholly telling of their true agenda. Because if you need a film to liberate you, seriously sit down. You don’t care about black liberation. The next conspiracy was feminism. White women had somehow fooled black women into protesting this movie. As if to say that black women don’t have minds of our own. We couldn’t possibly form our own opinions, do our own research, and come to our own conclusions. It makes sense because to a hotep, the black woman’s purpose is to support them, breed for them, and not question anything concerning the black man. Much like Parker, hoteps pose a danger to women.

End of Conversation. I’m no longer going to speak on Parker or Birth of a Nation. He failed the legacy of Turner. Turner’s name will always be linked to Parkers, and those who won’t bother reading Turner’s confessions, are left with a tainted, false biopic. These last months, the hoteps who defended Parker and ignored and excused his violent past could have put their energy and money into Queen of Katwe and turned that biopic into box office gold. But they didn’t, because they don’t support black women. That film made less than Birth of a Nation. Birth of a Nation wasn’t about Nat Turner. More than anything, it was about Parker being the hero and avenging rape. I’m not here for that and I have every right to make that choice.

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