In The Heights, the highly anticipated TV adaptation of the hit Broadway musical from Lin Manuel Miranda, directed by Jon M. Chu, dropped its trailer over a year ago and folks had questions.
In sum: Where are all of the leading dark-skinned Afro-Latinx folks?
Granted, the trailer (and film) showcased Black dancers and there were certainly Black women in the hair salon, but where are the dark-skinned Black Latinx folks with a storyline? After all, this film is placed in Washington Heights, N.Y., right?!
I had an opportunity to speak with the film’s director and several of the cast members, like Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins and Melissa Barrera, who said the following when asked about the light-skinned privilege of In The Heights.
“We are all people of color, and we all struggle for the few spaces that we’re given. And to diminish that, and like hate on something, that is already breaking so many molds...is mean.”
But, I acknowledge that the real conversation should be had with Lin Manuel Miranda.
It was tremendously disappointing not to have been approved for an interview with Miranda, the mastermind behind In The Heights, though its stars had been doing press for weeks (our sister site got their content up before we even sat down for an interview).
This conversation, particularly, about the lack of darker-skinned Black Latinx folks is tremendously important at this very moment in time. Throughout history, there has been the exclusion of and violence towards Blackness within Latinidad. Homogeneity and the illusion of a “race-free culture” within Latinidad is a myth (as Fordham Law professor, Tanya Hernández, previously told The Root). So yes, we absolutely need to discuss why there is only one dark-skinned Black lead (who is portraying a Black non-Latinx character) in the film.
Should I expect cast members (who have no power over casting) to be able to answer questions about pigmentocracy and the privilege of white-passing Latinx folks within Latinidad (who are also starring in In The Heights)? Maybe not.
But I’d gather that the film’s architect can.
In The Heights is in theaters and HBO Max on Friday, June 11.
DISCUSSION
Seeing a lot of tears in the greys. Colorism is a topic everybody loves to give lip service to but never has the courage to tackle; it's always a football to be kicked down the road. It truly is a firm brainwashing of virtually all poc.