Chapter summaries Black Nerd Problems William Evans and Omar Holmon

The Want to Protect Taraji's Proud Mary – Judging Black Art

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Evans opens with Issa Rae's 2017 Emmys declaration "I'm rooting for everybody Black," which he argues captures a common protective instinct among Black audiences. He introduces the central dilemma: what to do with Black art that fails to meet quality expectations, using the 2018 action film Proud Mary starring Taraji P. Henson as a case study. The movie generated excitement due to Henson's authenticity, the rarity of a Black female action lead, and unapologetically Black marketing. However, the film is objectively not good. Evans examines why audiences feel compelled to defend it, citing the fear that a single failure may close future opportunities for Black stars—a risk white actors like Liam Neeson do not face. He contrasts this with the abundance of mediocre white content and explores similar patterns in defenses of The Get Down, Luke Cage, and Lovecraft Country. He concludes that Black art does not need to be exceptional to warrant support, but systemic inequities raise the stakes, creating tension between honest critique and community solidarity.

Key Events

  • Issa Rae says "I'm rooting for everybody Black" at the 2017 Emmys, summarizing a protective sentiment.
  • The Proud Mary trailer generates widespread excitement for a Black female action star.
  • The film receives split reviews: critics pan it, some fans defend it.
  • Evans notes that Screen Gems reduced marketing, held no pre-release screenings, and gave the film a $14 million budget compared to white-led action films with $40 million or more.
  • The Get Down is initially defended by Evans due to scarcity of POC period pieces, but he later acknowledges its flaws.
  • Luke Cage is claimed by some as the best Marvel Netflix show despite problems with acting and the third act.
  • Lovecraft Country starts strong but reveals narrative cracks, including an underdeveloped transgender character and vengeance fantasies.
  • Evans concludes that support for imperfect Black art is valid but not obligatory.

Character Development

This is a nonfiction essay, so there is no fictional character development. However, the author William Evans presents a personal intellectual arc: he moves from an instinctive defense of Black art to a more nuanced position that acknowledges flaws while continuing to support the artists. He also highlights Taraji P. Henson as a symbol of authentic Black success who deserves grace, and he references public figures like Gabrielle Union, Paula Patton, Jennifer Lawrence, Gerard Butler, Liam Neeson, Eriq La Salle, Isaiah Washington, and Terrence Howard to illustrate double standards in Hollywood.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Scarcity vs. Mediocrity: The fear that Black art is given fewer chances, so every work must succeed, contrasting with the abundance of mediocre white content.
  • Monolithic Expectation: The tendency to treat all Black art as representative, leading to unfair comparisons (e.g., A Wrinkle in Time after Black Panther).
  • Protective Instinct: The community impulse to defend Black art to prevent systemic erasure of Black stars.
  • Systemic Inequality: Unequal budgets, marketing, and career resuscitation opportunities for Black vs. white artists.
  • Subjectivity of Critique: The difficulty of separating personal desire for success from objective artistic evaluation.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter challenges readers to reconcile support for Black artists with honest critical assessment. It highlights the structural disadvantages that make honest critique feel like a betrayal, and it argues for a more nuanced understanding of success and failure in Black art. Evans provides a framework for evaluating art without romanticizing it, while still acknowledging the extra burdens placed on Black creators. It is a key discussion on the relationship between audience, artist, and systemic racism in media.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What does Evans suggest is the danger of conflating "rooting for everybody Black" with "rooting for only Black excellence"? The danger is that it sets an unrealistic standard where every Black work must be excellent to be supported, ignoring the right to create average or flawed art without it jeopardizing future opportunities.

  2. How does Evans use the example of Proud Mary to illustrate systemic inequity in Hollywood? He notes the film had a much smaller budget ($14M) compared to white-led action films, received minimal marketing, and lacked pre-release screenings. Despite its domestic gross of $20M, it was branded a failure, while white actors like Liam Neeson continue to star in similar films with larger budgets and multiple chances.

  3. What is Evans's final position on the obligation of Black audiences to support imperfect Black art? He does not believe Black art must be exceptional to warrant support, provided it is not harmful. However, he also rejects the notion that every Black movie must be attended to keep the industry alive. The key is to recognize the structural reasons behind the high stakes while allowing honest critique.

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