I've just finished watching What Happened, Miss Simone? and it's made me even more frustrated about the situation with Nina. There are so many things wrong with Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone, that it is nearly impossible to count. Fortunately, I've done that for you.
1. The Black Face
Yes, Zoe Saldana is Afro-Latina. And yes, it is still black face when you darken the skin of a black person. The creative team went through hoops to make sure that this light skin woman with hair nowhere near the 4c texture look like Nina Simone. If they had to go through this much trouble to make Saldana look like Simone, shouldn't they have saved the money and find an actress that actually looked like the musician?
2. There are so many actresses to choose from.
There are so many actress that could have been chosen. If you needed a big names, an actress like Uzo Adoba or Viola Davis should be the obvious. A not as known actress such as Adepero Oduye is another very viable option. To put it blatantly, the choice to cast Saldana was a poor one, and unexcusable.
3. Zoe Saldana is equally at fault
As a woman who is aware of her privilege as a black person with lighter skin, I would never have accepted a role such as this one. You wouldn't have even caught me auditioning. I am sure that there is a healthy paycheck involved, but I am severely questioning this actress' morals. By agreeing to wear a wig, darkened makeup, and a prosthetic nose in order to play a role, what makes her any better than the group that decided to cast Martin Luther King as a white man?
4. This is against what Nina stood for
Nina Simone was in a profession where they were going to make her parents sit in the back of her concert in a room full of white people. She was in a profession where a school gave her an honorary degree at the end of her life, because her color was what kept her from being accepted in the first place. She was a black woman who was incredibly proud of her blackness; so much so, that it is what ultimately led to her professional downfall. Choosing someone like Saldana is a slap in the face. Rather than picking a black woman with classic black features. They have chosen to whitewash the film by picking someone whose physical features fit more easily in our Eurpean-favoring society.
Nina Simone's story is incredible. She was one of the best musicians to walk this earth, and it is a shame that they've chosen to taint her legacy in a way. Rather than spending the money on seeing a film like Nina, I suggest watching the amazing documentary on Netflix: What Happened, Miss Simone?. Through the documentary, you are sure to get a better view into her life than the upcoming movie.
