Nate Parker Has Yet to Earn His Redemption
The controversial actor has shown little sign of growth since the fallout from his decades-old rape allegations — and David Oyelowo’s recent co-sign doesn’t change that
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On today’s episode of Men Who Don’t Stand For Shit, Selma actor David Oyelowo threw on his cape, reached down from the burning star of his career, and advocated for Nate Parker to direct his Sugar Ray Robinson biopic, Sweet Thunder. You may remember Parker for his 2016 period film, The Birth of a Nation, which chronicled the Nat Turner-led rebellion of enslaved people in 1831. More likely, though, you remember the fact that the movie led to the resurfacing of Parker’s 1999 sexual assault case — to which Parker responded in a manner that many perceived as flippant, insensitive, and remorseless. He’s been working to repair his public goodwill since, and Oyelowo is lending the worth of his co-sign for the cause.
Oyelowo fashions his alliance with Parker as a moment of meaningful solidarity between Black men — while he’s not Hollywood’s biggest star, he’s a respected actor with a strong network of Black British and American creatives in…
