Episode VII: A New Hope

That’s not an error. It’s an epiphany.

My son and daughter are too old (so they think) to be influenced by what they see on screen. But in this age of apolitical assassinations, of having to argue aloud that Black Lives Matter in order to buy Skittles, of having to define rape culture for the men and women who perpetuate it, a black man and a white woman are the lead actors in the most anticipated movie of the millenium.

Back in 1977 when, as boisterous six-year-old, I trembled in fear at the actor standing six-feet tall in a then-unknown Darth Vader costume, I wanted to be white. Specifically, I wanted to be Luke Skywalker. His were the action figures I bought and coveted, the lines that I memorized, the space fantasies that I created and entertained in my fifty-plus viewings of the movie that year. As my grandmother likes to say, “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a great adventure took place. It was a period of civil war…” a battle that raged not only on Tatooine, or the Death Star, but inside me as well.

But, today, I bought a black Jedi action figure for my son to scoff at and put up on shelf in his room. I bought a female action figure for my daughter to roll her eyes at and lay on the side of her desk. I also bought tickets for them both to walk through the doors with me December 17th to see reflections of themselves fighting and saving the galaxy from evil.

Some will say that, “it’s just a movie” or “they’re still in the minority, because most of the cast is white men.” These dismissals are both correct and miss the point entirely. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are the most anticipated, most visible interracial duo since President Obama appointed Senator Clinton to be Secretary of State. And we saw how those two were able to change the world.

Episode VII: A New Hope … coming to a galaxy near us really, really soon. And I can’t wait.