Beloved actor James Earl Jones died in his New York home Sept. 9 at the age of 93, according to Deadline. A plethora of news platforms reported Earl’s death and tethered lengthy, honorific, obituaries that outline the who, what, where, why and when of the actor’s life and career. Jones was born in Tate County, Mississippi in a small town called Arkabutla which has a population of 400 people in the year 2024 and roughly 15% are Black. Jones migrated to Michigan with family at a young age, he was traumatized, developed a stutter, overcame the speech impediment, enlisted into the military, returned home and went on to become a successful and revered actor with an incredibly, incomparable voice that he lent to theater, the character Darth Vader in Star Wars, King Joffe in Coming To America, the great Mufasa in The Lion King.
Accolades abound, but AUNTIE did notice that scores of editorials omitted a questionable how that showed up in Jones’ life, Many mainstream platforms failed to report on how James Earl Jones may have had disdain for Black women. Jones who was twice married to white women—actresses Julienne Marie and Cecelia Hart with whom he fathered a child—made sour remarks about Black women in a resurfaced video of an ABC news interview believed to have aired in 1968. As he sits next to his white wife doting on her, Jones states Black women are “reacting and overreacting” to the Aunt Jemima stereotype which contributes to Black women being “uptight.” The Fences actor also faults Black women’s “position in society” for their uptight disposition. Sounding eerily similar to the dearly-departed Kevin Samuels, a much younger Jones states Black women are “goin to a more militant attitude about their own identity.”
In the video, Jones justifies his marriage to Julienne Marie, stating it has nothing to do with race but rather who she is an individual. He continues to pontificate around the subject of uptight Black women, attributing Slavery for their attitudes. He goes as far to surmise that Black women have surpassed Black men and blame them for not protecting Black women. The irony is Jones starring in the movie Claudine in one of his most acclaimed Black exploitation roles. Jones plays Roop, a Black man who courts a single Black woman on welfare with six children, played by Diahnn Carrol.
The interviewer asks Jones’ white wife to chime in on the “uprightness of Black women” and she co-signs her husband’s statements, saying that she too has witnessed Black womens’ hostility.
“I felt it, I sensed it with every Black woman we know whether they accept me or not,” Marie said. “There’s tolerance but there’s always hostility behind it.”
Jones’ first wife continued: “I happen to think it’s a good thing that they show hostility. It’s the only thing they can show at the moment. Out of the hostility, I think that’s a healthy sign.”
Jones’ resurfaced statements comes at a time where some Black women give very little fucks about critiques from people who don’t walk in their shoes. Many Black women clapped back on TikTok and rescinded their condolences are “RIP.”
@Bkbettyc: “And just like that, I’m done mourning.
@Pserendipity: “That’s why this video is from when he was 27 and that was his hairline.”
@Misx Ava Kane: “damn I never jumped out of sorrow so fast. prayers down.”
Of course, there was ire among folks who feel people shouldn’t critique or speak ill of the dead.
“James Earl Jones didn’t like black women.” Ok and? The world doesn’t like black women, it’s our sad reality 🤷🏽♀️ he’s dead what more do yall want pic.twitter.com/9TDjrA5eei
— CydneeC💜 |Fan Acc (@PAISLEYPARKCRIP) September 9, 2024
Women’s advocate, Kenyette “Tish” Barnes, co-founder of the MuteRKelly movement added to the discourse:
“James Earl Jones’ earlier videos where he shamed black women and called them not feminine, masculine, and militant are now circulating.
One can honor a great pioneer, but we don’t get to pick and choose the legacy.
He said that. He called BW militant and shamed us for not being more like Aunt Jemima.
Remember, your legacy is how you will be recalled.
Rest in Peace.”
To Barnes’ point, the facts are the facts. Fortunately, Black women are finally defending their own honor when no one else will despite a storied tradition of being mules, door knobs and doormats—mamies and Aunt Jemimas.
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