Full disclosure: I have not yet seen the movie Harriet, starring Cynthia Erivo. However the following video asks a very relevant question: Who gets to decide who represents the African- American experiences and histories in Hollywood films and adaptations? Erivo was cast to play one of the greatest women ever born in the United States, Harriet Tubman in a movie about her life. Some people are saying that its wrong to cast non African-American actors in roles of African-American people. They argue that because she is British and Nigerian she is not qualified to play Harriet Tubman because she does not have the personal connection to American slavery that an American black actress would have. Added to the controversy some argue that Erivo disqualified herself due to her statements on Twitter and in interviews regarding African-Americans and not respecting us. I agree that not respecting the history and problems that current African-Americans are dealing with today misses the point of Harriet Tubman's life and work, but I am not certain that Erivo is guilty of such short-sightedness. I also don't think that it's fair to say that a black actor cannot play an African-American if he/she is not African-American just like I would not say that an African-American actor/actress should not play an African. That's not because I would argue that the lives, struggles, and histories are interchangeable or non-unique, but because of the idea of an African Diaspora that is world-wide and pervasive. Not all Africans are the same but racism, slavery, colonialism, and oppression are things visited on almost all people of African descent regardless of where you grew up and to where your ancestors were sold. To think that Harriet Tubman solely belongs to us because we live and grew up in America cheapens and diminish who she was. She was not just a hero for America, but her sacrifices and work helped people all over the world. She is a person who transcends nationality and race and should be considered a hero for all people. Such a person deserves to be portrayed by a talented actor even if that Actor is a Nigerian. Tubman herself was even likely descended from Nigerian slaves anyway. It came full circle. I see nothing wrong with that. Tubman belongs to Nigeria, Haiti, Brazil, America, and anywhere that needs to be reminded that anyone can rise above their circumstances and be a blessing to everyone around them - contemporaneously and for the next couple of hundred years plus.
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