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00:00What's up Essence? How are you doing today? I'm Revae Ruff. I'm an entertainment editor here at
00:16Essence and I'm really excited to speak to our next crop of guests. We're discussing Remember
00:23Me, the Mahalia Jackson story, which is a story that focuses on the life and illustrious career
00:28of Mahalia Jackson and her civil rights involvement that a lot of people may not
00:33necessarily have known about. Coming to the stage now we have writer and executive
00:37producer Erica Nicole Malone, music supervisor Paul Wright and star of Mahalia
00:45Jackson movie Columbus Short. Come on out everybody give them a round of applause.
00:58Thank you all so much for being here with us today to discuss this amazing film. Erica, why did you feel like this is an important story to tell right now this way?
01:21Mahalia Jackson is such an important figure in the civil rights movement. A lot of people don't know that she was a hidden figure behind
01:29a lot of what Dr. King was able to accomplish. What I explain to people a lot is Mahalia Jackson was the Scotty Pippen to Michael Jordan.
01:39She was a quiet, influential figure in his life and would discuss with him his dreams and some of those things. And so she would open his rally. She would help finance some of those rallies.
01:51So I wanted to make sure that this story came to life. That was kind of an invisible story that most people didn't know.
01:58Amazing. We thank you for that. Now, Paul, the music in this movie is really powerful, really impactful. What made you settle on the particular gospel songs that you did to be showcased by Lettucey in this film?
02:09Well, some of those, most of those songs that you heard in the film are songs that meant something to Mahalia herself. So we selected songs from her catalog that Lettucey then turned around and put her own interpretation on.
02:25The beautiful thing about what Lettucey did, she was still allowed to be Lettucey, but let a lot of Mahalia come through. So you were able to hear a lot of Lettucey in the vocal, but it was still undeniable, Mahalia Jackson. And she did a great job doing it.
02:43You're right. The movie is like a whole praise session the whole time.
02:46Exactly.
02:47Now, Columbus, I know at the screening you mentioned earlier that Martin Luther King has been a dream role for you, something you've been chasing for a long time. What does it mean to you to be starring as Dr. Martin Luther King in this film?
02:57I'm going to say the truth is that it was a dream come true. And a lot of dreams don't come true for a lot of people. So, you know, I'm looking at all these people moving around the building.
03:13I want to make dreams come true for all these people. And I want to be the living example of that because who would have thought? But Erica called me and we had to have a meeting. She's like, I need to know who you are.
03:28Because I heard a lot of stuff. She said, you know, man, we got to talk about it. So we talked about it. And Erica was like, all right, I'm going to call you back.
03:40She didn't, she didn't make a quick choice. She was like, you know, we got the, uh, what's the dude that, uh, that thing that nationwide is on your side.
03:52That boy, she, she said, I'm going, I might go with him. I might go with, you knew about, I'm like, man. And she, she jumped over a cliff for me.
04:05Wonderful.
04:06Wonderful. Now, Erica, uh, speaking of the casting of this film, you have a lot of our greats in it. You know, Wendy Wilfell Robinson, Lettuce in Columbus Shore. We have, uh, everyone.
04:17Yeah.
04:18How did you settle on these people that are so important to our community specifically for this film?
04:22What's so amazing about, uh, Remember Me, the Mahalia Jackson story in this amazing cast is God picked these roles, in my, in my opinion. Because in my mind, I had, okay, who's going to play this? But as soon as they performed it, you knew that that was the person who was supposed to be.
04:40When Lettuce did her audition, you knew she was Mahalia Jackson. When Columbus Short performed, you knew he was Dr. King. You knew Janet Huber was Aunt Duke. You knew Keith David was Ink Williams, Vanessa, uh, Estelle Williams.
04:55Uh, so, so, so it's, to know all of these people that you imagine would be in this role, to see him play Dr. Martin Luther King the way he does, it makes me feel like I'm sitting across the coffee table and having a cup of coffee with Dr. King.
05:14That's how eloquent he makes him come to life. For me, personally, who didn't get a chance to see him, uh, in real life. So, it's just such an amazing opportunity to see this cast. This is a phenomenal cast, also directed by Denise Douse, uh, uh, uh, Douse, produced by Vince Allen. Amazing, amazing film.
05:33Awesome. Thank you so much for that. Paul, what, um, one of the songs that Mahalia performed, that Mahalia sang, that Lettuce performed,
05:43which one of those that you picked for this film, like, really impacted you personally?
05:48Impacted me personally? Wow, that's a really tough question because there were, there were more than one. Um, when she did I've Embuked, which is at the very beginning of the movie,
05:59her performance of I've Embuked, I listened to it when she recorded it, I watched it on screen, I was moved from the very moment.
06:08Because you could feel Lettucey embodying Mahalia when she's singing those lyrics. And the performance she put on that screen was just undeniable. You were like, I'm feeling everything she's feeling.
06:23I mean, that was one of those songs. Um, I Must Tell Jesus, scene as well, where she's talking to Dr. King in the hotel room.
06:31That was another moment where you're like, I didn't have to be there, but I know this is what it was like.
06:37That's, that's kind of those two songs, especially.
06:40Yeah. Amazing. Now we're going to take a look at the trailer in just a moment.
06:44Wait, hold on. Let me say something about Paul and Walt, but he ain't here.
06:48When we did that scene, she allowed, uh, her to sing to me.
06:57Yeah. So there was no faking.
07:00Yeah. Why did I cry? It's hard to make me cry.
07:03And like, yeah, it's hard to give me.
07:06Lettucey's anointing.
07:07But, but when I heard that anointing.
07:10Yeah.
07:11Yes. Yeah.
07:12It broke me down.
07:14And you hear all of this out of you.
07:15So I was acting, but I wasn't acting.
07:17Right.
07:18Yeah. I mean, I was playing Dr. King, but Mahalia is speaking to my spirit.
07:24Wow. Wow.
07:25You really hear her anointing all through this film.
07:28You really can.
07:28And I'd love to give you all a chance to get a look at the trailer of Remember Me, the Mahalia Jackson story.
07:34Let's take a look now.
07:35I don't know if they have it.
07:36Great is by faithfulness.
07:55I hear you.
07:57You are the woman with the golden voice.
08:00Really?
08:00I mean, big time.
08:07It is an honor to meet you in Pleasure.
08:09The pleasure's all mine, Dr. King.
08:21There was an offer for you to perform in Las Vegas.
08:26Tell them I decline.
08:28Show ministry is to spread the good news.
08:31To sinners, not to drunks.
08:35This is my calling.
08:36This is what I do.
08:38God's work.
08:44She's just like a mama.
08:45She had dreams about being a dancer.
08:47You the one who killed Charity's dream?
08:49Don't nobody wanna see no nigga dancing across no stage.
08:52I'm tumbling down.
08:54Up to the wall.
08:55I want all money up front before I perform on stage.
08:58Yes, ma'am.
09:00It's my belief that you can play a significant role as an ally for a movie.
09:04The colors ain't allowed to enter through the front door.
09:07You mean they can pay all this money to hear me sing?
09:09As long as I hide in the kitchen when I'm through it?
09:13The walls of injustice have imprisoned our people for generations.
09:16I'm tired of sitting back and sitting still.
09:18I'm the glue that holds this family together.
09:23And I'm the man who loves you, woman.
09:26I've come too far to be pushed this far back.
09:29Jericho!
09:30And the walls came tumbling down.
09:39They'll remember me.
09:43Amazing. Let's hear it for that trailer, guys.
09:45And it truly is.
09:48The music in this film is just you feel it in your soul.
09:51I really want you all to have the chance to experience it for yourselves.
09:54It's very moving.
09:55Erica, can you tell us where people can see this film?
09:57We are in negotiations with the network right now.
10:00We'll be announcing within the next two to three weeks.
10:03Let me say something.
10:04Okay.
10:05For all these black people walking around in this convention center.
10:10I want to say this.
10:11It's bigger than this movie.
10:12This movie is what's going to be able to remember him.
10:15Remember her.
10:16That's the point.
10:17Remember me.
10:18Not remember me.
10:19You can forget about me.
10:20You can forget about Lettucey.
10:21You can forget about Erica.
10:22But let's remember Martin Luther King.
10:23Let's remember Mahalia Jackson.
10:24Right.
10:25And what they fought for.
10:26Absolutely.
10:27Because we looking like we ain't still fighting.
10:28We are still fighting.
10:29We looking like we stopped fighting.
10:30Right.
10:31Right.
10:32Right.
10:33You know what I mean?
10:34I don't know how Martin or Mahalia feel right now about the way stuff is going on.
10:37But we have a chance to fix it.
10:38If we come together as a community, as a people.
10:42You know what I mean?
10:43I don't want to preach today.
10:44But I'm going to say this.
10:46We have to stick together.
10:47Amen.
10:48Absolutely.
10:49Absolutely.
10:50Amen.
10:51We have to stick together.
10:53We do.
10:54If we do not stick together.
10:55We're going to lose.
10:56That's right.
10:57That's right.
10:58All right.
10:59That's right.
11:00That's right.
11:01That's right.
11:02I don't know how Martin or Mahalia feel right now.
11:04About the way stuff is going on.
11:05But we have a chance to fix it.
11:07If we come together as a community.
11:09As a people.
11:11You know what I mean.
11:12I don't want to preach today.
11:13But I'm going to say this.
11:15We have to stick together.
11:16Absolutely.
11:17All right, everybody, give it up, please, for Erica Nicole Malone, Columbus Short, and Paul Wright.
11:25Thank you so much.
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