On Friday, Los Angeles Times published a powerful op-ed by actress Gabrielle Union in which she addressed the recent rape allegations against movie director, writer, and actor Nate Parker. Parker was Union’s director in the movie “Birth of a Nation,” the highly-anticipated Oscar favorite about Nat Turner, an enslaved man who started a slave rebellion. Union plays a rape victim that throughout the film is silent, symbolizing situation many survivors of sexual violence find themselves in.

In her op-ed, Union reveals that she herself was sexually assaulted in her youth. She describes how 24 years ago she was raped at gunpoint in the back room of the shoe store where she used to work. She took the role in “Birth of a Nation” to provide a voice to all the voiceless women out there who have been victims of sexual abuse or rape. When the allegations against her director Nate Parker resurfaced, she says she was shocked. She wrote:

Since Nate Parker’s story was revealed to me, I have found myself in a state of stomach-churning confusion. I took this role because I related to the experience. I also wanted to give a voice to my character, who remains silent throughout the film. In her silence, she represents countless black women who have been and continue to be violated. Women without a voice, without power. Women in general. But black women in particular. I knew I could walk out of our movie and speak to the audience about what it feels like to be a survivor.

She went on to say that she couldn’t take these allegations against Parker lightly, arguing that although no one knows what actually happened that night many years ago, this is an opportunity to educate people about consent. Silence does not mean “yes.”

The rape accusation against Parker is 17 years old but recently resurfaced in the media. At 19, he and his college roommate Jean McGianni Celestin were accused of raping a woman who allegedly was too drunk to stand up straight. Parker has always maintained his innocence, saying it was consensual. He was acquitted of all charges, but Celestin was convicted of sexual assault. Celestin also helped make the movie that is now in the running for Academy Awards. One part that is particularly controversial is that they allegedly harassed the woman afterward. She later committed suicide in 2012.

Parker has tried to explain the difference between his 19-year-old self and the Nate Parker of today. He posted a statement on his Facebook page expressing his shock when he heard of the young woman’s passing. Some have accepted this as an apology, while others have said it’s just empty talk to try and save his movie. In light of the recent controversy, several locations have canceled screenings of “Birth of a Nation” and Q&A’s with Parker, such as the American Film Institute.

Gabrielle Union is married to NBA player Dwyane Wade and is the stepmother of his three sons. She said in raising them, she and Wade have educated them strictly about manners, drugs, and making the right choices. But lately, she realized this is not enough, and that they also have to teach them about boundaries between the sexes. She said:

To that end, we are making an effort to teach our sons about affirmative consent. We explain that the onus is on them to explicitly ask if their partner consents. And we tell them that a shrug or a smile or a sigh won’t suffice. They have to hear ‘yes.’

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Gabrielle Union Speaks Out About Nate Parker’s Rape Allegations appeared first on Law Street.

The #OscarsSoWhite movement criticizing the lack of diversity in this year’s Academy Awards nominations has really had an impact in Hollywood. Reforms are already being made for next year’s nomination process, and the Academy has pledged that by 2020 it will have doubled its female and minority members. Still, there are some people out there who don’t see a need for any diversity enhancements to the Oscars, or anything else for that matter.

Black actress and FOX commentator Stacey Dash is one of these people. During an interview on FOX & Friends, Dash criticized Jada Pinkett Smith’s boycott, calling it ludicrous. Dash continued saying,

We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration. If we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the [NAACP] Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black. If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms, it’s a double standard.

She then took it a step forward adding, “There shouldn’t be a black history month. We’re Americans. Period.”

Needless to say the blowback was immediate, however, BET’s “Being Mary Jane” star Gabrielle Union’s response to the scandal showed us sometimes it’s better not to even dignify these kinds of people with a response.

When asked how she felt about Dash’s comments at the Sundance Film Festival, where her critically acclaimed movie “The Birth of a Nation” was being shown, the actress answered simply, “Who’s that. Who’s Stacey Dash? Is she like related to Dame Dash? Was she on Roc-A-Fella?” Adding, “I heard of a crazy lady once, maybe last week. But I don’t know what her name is.”

Gabrielle Union was asked about Stacy “Clueless” Dash pic.twitter.com/B04lfFpSfV

— KANYE ASADA (@gilossal) January 26, 2016

Then she turned off the shade for a second to get real, saying,

It’s why there’s a need for Birth of a Nation, and why there’s a need for the Country Music Awards, and the ALMA Awards. If you don’t see yourself reflected in mainstream awards, you tend to create your own.

After that, Union’s comments were quickly turned into the trending hashtag #WhoIsStaceyDash, where people pretended to be clueless as to who the “Clueless” actress was.

#whoisStaceyDash Yaass @itsgabrielleu pic.twitter.com/qz7mf5tJsI

— Starlynn (@SavvyStarMUA) January 27, 2016

#WhoIsStaceyDash is she lady that makes those seasonings? — comin up trillhouse (@2Fat2Furiosa) January 27, 2016

Is this her? #WhoisStaceyDash pic.twitter.com/Sk0WRd9pnr

— Eric Isaac (@ericisaac) January 27, 2016

#whoisStaceyDash A woman that used Black spaces to advance her career and now sh*ts on them for #foxnews pic.twitter.com/fxXFPFisI6

— Ricky Riley (@epicarthouse) January 27, 2016

#WhoIsStaceyDash? Y’all were in a movie together pic.twitter.com/bHu3etz0te — Raymond Price (@Raymond__Price) January 26, 2016

“What do I think of Stacey Dash? …I don’t.” #WhoIsStaceyDash pic.twitter.com/yaqQmSWMza

— iconick (@NICKWALSH) January 27, 2016

Preview of my interview with @ArevaMartin. Subscribe here: https://t.co/XMlFonugSQ #WhoIsStaceyDash @Adele pic.twitter.com/RCaVLgvBxQ — Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) January 27, 2016

The #WhoIsStaceyDash hashtag is the best fruit the shade tree has dropped in a good long while.

— Kylo Brin (@Brindolyn) January 27, 2016

But BET may have had the best comeback of the bunch when it published a slideshow on its website titled “Every Time Stacey Dash Proved She Was Clueless.” The network then took it one step further by calling out Dash for guest starring in one of its most popular shows “The Game.”

Soooooo @REALStaceyDash can we get our check back… or nah? #Remember #YouWereOnTheGame   #AndWeDontMeanTheRapper pic.twitter.com/2vWq03J0c9 — BET (@BET) January 20, 2016

Ouch, that’s gotta hurt. Hopefully next time Dash will think twice before mouthing off some of her controversial opinions. But who are we kidding, because after all, she is on FOX News.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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