WCW: Ava DuVernay
Welcome to my Woman Crush Wednesdays (WCW) where I’ll be celebrating the black women I stan (and you should too).
First up, the badass filmmaking activist, Ava DuVernay.
I love Ava because in addition to lifting her voice in opposition to injustice and the systematic oppression of marginalized people, she’s given us beautiful examples of authentic black representation in TV and film including:
One of the most powerful and historically accurate films of all-time
A visually stunning, relatable, and groundbreaking black series
An eye opening, powerful, and infuriating documentary that we ALL need to watch (multiple times)
A film filled with hope, encouragement, and positivity
A Wrinkle In Time did wonders for black representation in science fiction featuring a young black female lead (Storm Reid) with Oprah Winfrey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and multiple references to icons like Maya Angelou and James Baldwin. 😍It also broke another barrier as Ava became the first black woman to direct a $100 million film.
Ava DuVernay and Storm Reid on the set of A Wrinkle In Time
All of this, and she seems to be just getting started with more work on the way, including a TV mini-series on the Central Park Five and DC Comics’ New Gods.
UPDATE: Ava recently signed a $100M deal with Warner Brothers and she’ll be directing a documentary about Prince.
When she’s not behind the camera, Ava lives the “everybody eats” sentiment with a passion. In 2010, she founded ARRAY, an organization that “distributes and amplifies films by people of color and women of all kinds.” She’s also very intentional about creating space for men and women of color via her own projects. One the people she’s uplifted is actor, producer, and screenwriter, Lena Waithe, who’s career is on fire right now.
Ava at the 2017 Emmys
Auntie Ava, thank you for your innovation, your intentionality, your stories, your voice, and your determination. The film industry and the world are better places with your presence!
