Dear White People Movie Poster Perfectly Depicts the Touching of Natural Hair

Dear White People movie poster designed by Nikkolas Smith

Last week, the movie poster for the movie Dear White People was released, and I was excited! It shows a drawing of a brown person with a huge Afro and a white person reaching and touching it. The poster reminded me of the "You Can Touch My Hai r" art exhibit. I think it accurately depicts the experience that many Black naturals face when a stranger reaches out and touches their hair without asking. Although you can only see the brown person's eyes and nose, they have a look of horror on their face.

The movie Dear White People is a satirical film about 4 Black college students attending a predominately white college. The film explores racial stereotypes and politics. Dear White People is the winner of the Sundance Film Festival 's 2014 Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent. Click here to read the synopsis. Some of the film's stars include Tyler James Williams ( "Everybody Hates Chris"), Tessa Thompson ("For Colored Girls"), Teyonah Parris ("Mad Men"), Brandon P. Bell ("NCIS"), and Dennis Haysbert ("24"). The movie is written, produced, and directed by Justin Simien.

One of the lines in the film by Tessa Thompson's character Sam White says, "Dear White People, please stop touching my hair. Does this look like a petting zoo to you?" One of the things I love about the movie poster is it does not reveal the gender of the brown person. After seeing the Dear White People movie trailer, you learn the brown person is Tyler James Williams' character, Lionel Higgins, but I love the fact that you cannot tell the gender of the person at first glance. I believe this suggests that both Black men and woman with natural hair encounter the experience of a stranger reaching out and touching their hair without permission. Dear White People hits theaters on October 17th, and I plan to go see it!

The official Dear White People trailer.

What do you think of the Dear White People movie poster?

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