00:00This is not your average bank robber. This is about giving her a chance.
00:16Lynette Nicholas with Essence. So my first question is, Nicole's the manager of the bank,
00:23you know, Detective Raymond, you have your position. You all are positions of influence.
00:30But you both strategically position yourself to get Janiyah out alive.
00:35Yes.
00:36What is it about the black female experience that lends itself to having more compassion for others?
00:41What was it about Janiyah? What did you recognize in her that made you shift your paradigm?
00:46Like, okay, there's something else happening here.
00:48I mean, a mother. You know, she was a mother. Nicole was a mother. Detective Raymond was a mother.
00:56I think that's what brought us together. And I also think, you know, us being black women
01:01and understanding that we are the least protected.
01:03So I think it was one of them things where you had to have that empathy and that compassion to show up for another sister.
01:11It was all about sisterhood.
01:12And like I always say, you know, it was bigger than a badge for me. It was bigger than a gun. It was bigger than a bulletproof vest.
01:18I am a mother and a woman. Like detective is out the window and I'm seeing what's happening, you know, and I think that, you know, convincing everyone else to have patience with her was a big thing because it's a call I can make certain calls that she can make.
01:35I hate when we have the ability to, we can make the shift. We can make the changes about what we choose to do with the information.
01:42And I think what Detective Raymond chose to do with the information really helped. Same thing with Nicole Parker.
01:47Yeah. Yeah. That was my next question. It's important. Oftentimes you see people who are in positions of authority, they have power, but then they forget.
01:56And it's the theme of being in remembrance. You're strategically positioned, you know, to help other people. What do you do with that?
02:04Exactly. Can you speak to that? I think, you know, I look around and I see black women.
02:08What I loved about the script is the sisterhood. It came together that it really meant something that she did not lose her life.
02:15Yeah. You know, and we see that all the time. Yeah. We are nurturers. Yeah. Black women.
02:21And I think that we are stronger together. Yeah. And I love that when I saw two forces behind this woman who saw her and wanted her to win.
02:32And we did both what we could to make sure that happened. I love how Tiana's character, when I was reading the script, how she fought against the very people who were supposed to protect and serve.
02:43That's right. Even to probably her detriment. Yeah.
02:45And, you know, for me, it was just like, I just wanted to come and make a difference, never thinking it would be in this way, but being able to make a difference in Janiah's life to where she was able to let go.
02:57And we were able to connect as mothers. Yeah. Had anyone else been in those positions? And I was thinking about, and I love the alternative ending. Had anyone else been in those positions?
03:08It would have turned out very differently. Can you speak to the importance of there being people with cultural acuity, social, emotional intelligence, being in positions of power?
03:21Because that was a theme, too, throughout. There were so many different personalities. You had the younger, you had the angry white cop, you had the younger white detective, but then you had the FBI detective who came in and his spirit was so prideful.
03:32Can you speak to the importance of people being in leadership positions with cultural acuity?
03:38Is it, you know, we always have to fight. Yeah.
03:43You know, we have to fight to have our voices heard. Just in this last election season, we had to fight.
03:49Was it 92 or 93 percent of us? We had to fight to prove ourselves, to prove our worth and still not be seen.
03:58Still to have a woman in power who was the best of the best of the best and still not be seen.
04:07Yeah.
04:07And I think that, you know, in speaking to this movie, it's like, you know, she's fighting, she's fighting.
04:13And we both recognize that.
04:15And she's still not seen. And that's why it's so important.
04:18That's where the urgency came in.
04:20Yeah.
04:21To help save her.
04:21I love that.
04:22There are so many Janias that are going to watch this film.
04:25There are so many Janias in every community.
04:28Do you have any words of, you know, encouragement for the Janias?
04:32Because so many people suffer in silence.
04:34And there's also a theme of having a village.
04:35But Janias does not have one.
04:37She says, our mom and sister are crazy.
04:39Can you give any words of encouragement to young black women who may see this and be hurting?
04:44What would you say to them?
04:45You know, honestly, I would say be able to receive.
04:50Because as you can see, Janias received from two strangers.
04:54Yeah.
04:55You get what I'm saying?
04:56Like, that when we all happen to be mothers and black women.
05:00You get what I'm saying?
05:01I think the power of receiving is so important.
05:03A lot of people don't know how to receive unless it's like a, well, unless my mother or my sister or my brother.
05:08You got to know how to receive.
05:10Because, you know, Nicole Parker is in the bank with her.
05:14Yeah.
05:15What if I didn't have the voice of reason to say, no, we need to boom, boom, boom.
05:19This is what we need to do.
05:20We don't know how that could have ended, how it could have went.
05:25So this stranger, who is a mother first, was able to see, you know, herself and Janias and, you know, vice versa.
05:35So I think to the woman, it's like, it's okay to show up for one another, even if you don't know them that well.
05:39If a person is willing to show up for you, receive that.
05:42And sometimes your village is not just your family.
05:44Like, my village truly are the friends that I have who are closer to me and my family.
05:50They're my sisters.
05:51So you can create your village of a like-minded person.
05:56And like you said, be ready to receive.
05:58You give and receive, give and receive.
06:00That's what a friendship truly is.
06:02Absolutely.
06:03Absolutely.
Comments