We have all heard the saying “put yourself in someone else’s shoes” when attempting to resolve a conflict to get a different perspective of a given situation. FX’s six-part documentary series “Black. White.” takes these words of wisdom to the extreme. Two families trade races in an attempt to expose the direct and indirect racial discrimination that still exists today. Well-known rap star/actor Ice Cube is the brilliant mind behind the show along with Emmy-winning producer R.J. Cutler.
Through the magical works of makeup artist Keith Vanerlaan, the African-American Sparks family of Atlanta (Brian, Renne and son Nick) become white, and the Wurgels of Santa Monica, California (Bruno Marcotulli, Carmen and daughter Rose) become black. Vanerlaan proves to be very successful in his work, for no one noticed the true races of the actors during a panel discussion, school visitation or job interview. During this six-week production, the two families share a house in California.
Many interesting topics come to surface during this show that otherwise may not be an issue. Carmen explains her concern, “I have no idea what it’s going to be like to live with a black family.” The two families sit around the dinner table to discuss basic differences between the races regarding the way to talk, speak and act in public. Interestingly enough, the Sparks family took a significant amount of time to teach the Wurgels how to be black; however, the Wurgels did not have to teach the Sparks family how to be white. Renne explains, “They don’t have to teach me how to be white: I had to learn how to do it all of my life.”
Bruno has a know-it-all attitude and an ancient idea of what racism means today. While in black makeup, Bruno is looking forward to a white person to scream a racial slur at him so that he could react in sheer calmness; what he believes to be the answer to racism. Frustrated with Bruno’s ignorance, Brian attempts to inform Bruno of how racism has evolved. He explains that racism is no longer as direct as being called the “N-word,” but is now more indirect like not getting a job or a much-deserved promotion.
The premiere show was a great success and offered several moments of enlightenment. While in white makeup Brian reveals that for the first time, when buying shoes, a shoe salesman actually put his shoes on for him.
Although the show was very engaging and informative, I would suggest three changes. First, I would make both families follow through with the same exact instances, with the same exact people, but as themselves – without any makeup- so that they could get a true understanding as to how different they are treated. Also, when purchasing items such as cars, I would have liked to see Bruno go to a ritzy suburban neighborhood, rather than a used-car dealership. Lastly, six weeks of undergoing black-makeup is hardly enough time for the Wurgels to really understand the hardships of racism. Six weeks cannot compare to 400 years of slavery in any way; however, I guess it’s a start.
It saddens me to know that after all of this time, a show like this is still necessary. Racism is still very much alive and strong and needs to be discussed. Hopefully this show will open the eyes of America and allow them to see that if they are not part of the solution, then they are part of the problem. Be sure to watch “Black. White.” every Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. on FX. You are sure to be enlightened at the very least.