Review of Dear White People (2014) by Tyrus G — 18 Oct 2014

Dear (Angry) White People:

I felt compelled to write this review after reading some of the negative comments. Dear White People isn't what you think it is. This movie isn't about white shaming. There isn't a single white person portrayed as being inherently racist. Ignorant? Insensitive? Oblivious? yes, but some of the black characters are far worse. In fact, the only respectable character without flaws in the entire movie is... you guessed it, WHITE! The only person called racist in the entire movie was... wait for it... BLACK! ...and that was by another BLACK person!

Speaking of the black characters, they are all deeply flawed. There's a black guy with no black culture that is ostracized by blacks because of it. There's a black person that is ashamed of her black culture and wants nothing to do with it. There's a mixed race person that overcompensates to prove how black she is. There's also a well rounded black guy that doesn't see race at all, but struggles to live up to his dad's expectations of success and how a successful black male should portray himself.

Dear White People actually addresses how a few black people with a negative agenda can create racial divisiveness and defensiveness in whites that may not be privy to the everyday struggles of blacks, but are tired of being white shamed over white privilege. There's also a focus on entertainment's role in pushing stereotypes and the media's role in escalating tension for the sake of ratings and money.

Dear White People is smart, funny, and addresses black and white race relations at much higher level than demonizing either "side." Dear White People asks its audience to try and understand one another without inciting each other.

Dear White (black and everything beyond and in between) People,.

Can't we all just get along?

P.S. the movie was well acted and well shot. It plays far above its budget.