[Steeltrap]

Originally posted by BLUTANG
DUTTON'S BLACK SEPARATIST MINISERIES CONCERNS HBO

Film wonders what would happen if lower class blacks were given their own state.

*Consider the plot of the forthcoming 10-hour miniseries being developed by actor Charles S. Dutton for HBO: African Americans in a black separatist movement are given their own state within the U.S. under a multibillion-dollar reparations package.

But...

The new state must only take in the poor, imprisoned and downtrodden blacks in the U.S. The theme of the series is supposed to ponder the possibility of blacks prospering in an environment where there is no white man to blame for their predicament.

"HBO seems a little afraid of it; it's very provocative, the actor tells entertainment columnists Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith. The cable network reportedly wants Dutton to write the story as a novel first before moving forward with a miniseries.

Dutton says that other networks have expressed interest in airing the project as is, and he will soon decide whether to stay with HBO or move on.

"With this, I'm holding up a mirror to society, and every aspect of the story actually has a historical precedent," Dutton said of the project.

In the meantime, the actor/director stars as the father of Omar Epps character in Part 2 of a special House episode airing tomorrow on Fox. The show marks their third appearance together in a film, following the TV movie First Time Felon and the motion picture Against the Ropes.

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I'm confused as to why only "downtrodden" blacks can participate in this show. wouldn't it be more realistic to show a mix (college educated, high schooll only, families, singles, etc)? How is anyone (black or any race) to prosper if every situation around them is dismal?

I am taking a risk with this one, but I suspect that Dutton wants to look at poor/downtrodden AfAms because of the perception (not necessarily reality) that the "blame the man" attitudes are entrenched within those sectors.