The offices of Social Equity and Multicultural Affairs showed “Akeelah and the Bee,” Wednesday, September 20, in Sykes Theater. The film was followed by a panel discussion designed to show the inner and outer personalities that we all have to face.The panel discussion was led by Dr. James Trotman, Director of the Frederick Douglass Institute and faculty member of the English department and Dr. Latonya Thames-Leonard, a professor in the history department. About 30 people were in attendance and heard both of the professors’ insight about the movie and how stereotypes, class and race played a significant role in this movie.
During one scene in the film, Akeelah witnesses one of her opponents being scolded by their father and Dr. Leonard said that she felt that the young girl was a revamp of Mammy. This name is a stereotype given to African-American women, meaning that she is everyone’s favorite aunt or grandmother and is sometimes referred to as “Aunt Jemima.” The reason Leonard said that was because after the young girl saw that she was ready to let her opponent win because she felt that is what everyone wanted.
Leonard found that the all black casting was interesting because two out of the three characters lived in the rich area of Los Angeles. The third character lived in the ghetto in Crenshaw, Calif. Leonard used the word “reciprocity” and related back to one of her favorite poems by Langston Hughes called “Theme From English B,” saying, “Go beyond those boarders and come to my world so you can understand.
Leonard said one of the things that amazed her was that “everyone in the young girl’s community had low expectations and didn’t value education, even the young girl’s mother.” It wasn’t until the young girl started doing well that everyone in the community changed. Leonard said, “Equity and diversity inform the way people are acting.”
Dr. Trotman referred to the film, asking, “What is your fate and destiny and will you have a Bee in your life that will lift you up and are you willing to reach for it? If Frederick Douglass accepted fate, he would not have had the thirst to move on to do what he did.”
Douglass was portrayed in the movie as a writer. Leonard and Trotman wanted the audience to know that Douglass was not just an abolitionist and a newspaper writer, but he also gave his final speech at West Chester University. Trotman encouraged audience members to stop by Douglass’ marker between Main Hall and the library to learn more about him.