Nate Parker was born in Norfolk, Virginia on November 18, 1979 to a
17 year-old single-mom who never married his biological father. He and his
younger sisters were raised mostly in Bath, Maine which is where his
stepfather was stationed by the U.S. Air Force.
Nate Parker - The "Blood Done Sign My Name" Interview
with Kam Williams
Kam
Williams:
Nate, thanks so much for the time.
Nate
Parker:
Of
course, any time, brother.
KW:
What interested you in doing Blood Done Sign My Name to play an important
civil rights figure like Ben Chavis?
NP:
To put it
plainly, it was the fact that it fit my model. I prefer to make movies which
not only have a message for "then" but a message for "now." Here was this 22
year-old brother who had no idea what was about to happen, and yet, when it
did, he stepped into it in a way which changed an entire community. There
was leadership and a sense of accountability in this young man, and those
are qualities I can talk about in 2010. So, when I read the script, I knew
that it could serve as a tool in the present for some of what ails our
community. Paperback: 355 pages Tim Tyson's riveting narrative of that fiery summer brings gritty
blues truth, soaring gospel vision, and down-home humor to a
shocking episode of our history. Like To
Kill a Mockingbird, Blood Done Sign My Name is a classic
portrait of an unforgettable time and place.
Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story
Click to order via Amazon
Publisher: Three Rivers Press May 3, 2005
About the Author
Timothy B. Tyson is a professor of Afro-American studies at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
KW:
How did you prepare for the role?
NP:
I read
everything I could about the period, including the book the film is based
on. The book was incredible because it deals with racism, white supremacy
and the black inferiority complex in a real way, and it illustrates how they
can be a cancer on a community.
KW:
And how does that relate to today?
NP:
I look
around today, and I see the Prison-Industrial Complex, and how 50% of our
brothers and sisters are behind bars, and how half of us are dropping out of
school. And I look at the escalating HIV rate in the black community. These
are issues now, and we need leaders to address those crises in the way that
Ben Chavis was effective at inspiring a whole generation of kids.
KW:
Is it true that your showbiz career got started when you were spotted by a
talent scout?
NP:
Yeah, I
was working in computers when this stranger approached me out of the blue,
saying I should become an actor. I took it as a gift from God, because I had
been praying for clarity about what He wanted me to do, since I wasn't happy
in computers. So, I gave my employer notice, and moved to L.A. in two weeks.
It was definitely Divine intervention. And six year's later, here I am, and
Jon Simmons, the guy who signed me up, is still my manager.
KW:
Praise the Lord! I guess you were surprised by your meteoric rise, huh?
NP:
It's been
surprising in the sense that it happened so quickly. But I'd say it's
been more of a blessing than a surprise because I believe it was God's plan
to give me this platform. That's where my passion comes from, to use it to
benefit people, especially people from my community.
KW:
Why are these message movies you make so important?
NP:
Because
the way in which we were disconnected from our continent has left us in this
limbo when it comes to identity. Our community lacks a rite of passage that
you see in so many other cultures, that celebration where you're surrounded
by other people who look like you explaining to you what it means to be a
person of African descent coming of age. When I was young, to have a big
nose, big lips or dark skin was the worst. You were the wretched. That was
something I not only felt, but I participated in. Unfortunately, I was put
down for my big lips and nose, and I would join in teasing others about
their darker skin. That's why I believe the first step we need to take to
change our community is in identity, in learning who we are and why we are.
In understanding the struggles we went through in Africa, the strength that
it took to endure the Middle Passage, and the struggles we're going through
now.
KW:
In seeing all the civil rights movies you make, it seems like you're
consciously picking socially-relevant projects.
NP:
Absolutely! My community has to come first. How we feel about and what we're
willing to do for our people has to be imbedded in our very bones. When
dealing with our people, we don't have the luxury of treating it like a
hobby.
KW:
There comes a stage in every black actor's career where Hollywood forces him
to put on a dress and act the fool. How have you been able to avoid that?
NP:
Through
the grace of God who gave me this opportunity. I have to acknowledge Him as
the one that has blessed me, and I put my faith in Him. Will I explore other
genres? Definitely, but like I said, my community has to come first. I know
this attitude is rare, especially in a capitalist society where we're
encouraged to stay away from the ghetto if you make it out. Sadly, black
people disassociate ourselves from the things which make us who we are,
identifying them as lesser, or inferior. It's a form of self hate. So, with
reckless abandon, we strive to be like the majority.
KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? If
so, please answer it.
NP:
Wow,
that's a great question! I want young people to ask me if I'm serious. Our
young people have been lied to and misled for so long. When I stand on this
soapbox, I want young people to ask me that because once they know I'm
serious, they'll be willing to ride with me.
KW:
The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
NP:
Yes,
sometimes. My mother always tells me, "Fear isn't from God," and I believe
that. But sometimes, I wonder whether I'll be able step into the shoes that
God has prepared for me.
KW:
The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
NP:
Very
happy! I'm happy with who I am, but I'm not happy with where we are yet.
KW:
The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
NP:
[Laughs]
Hanging out with [co-star] Lela Rochon about an hour ago. She's such a
character.
KW:
"Realtor
to the Stars" Jimmy Bayan's question: Where in L.A. do you live?
NP:
I'm actually in the process of moving to Torrance to be closer to my
daughter.
|
by Derrick Bell Imagine America on the first day of the 21st
century. At the break of dawn, a thousand space ships descend from
the sky, landing on the shores of the East Coast, bearing treasures
of gold, safe nuclear power and detoxifying agents that could pay
all debts and save the earth's environment. In exchange for these
goods, guaranteed to rescue America from the excesses of its past,
the Space Traders want just one thing -- to take all African
Americans back to their home star. |
NP:
Faces at
the Bottom of the Well by Derrick Bell.
KW:
The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on
your iPod?
NP:
I'm
listening to a mixture of Maxwell, Robin Thicke and Alicia Keys.
KW:
Speaking
of Alicia Keys, Larry Greenberg says, "When I saw you with Alicia Keys in
the Secret Life of Bees, I was convinced there was chemistry between you.
Was I right, or are you two just great actors?" And he adds, "You can be
honest. Don't worry, Sarah [Nate's wife] isn't going to read this."
NP:
[LOL] Oh
my gosh, that's hilarious! I think chemistry and great acting go
hand-in-hand. We are great actors, so of course there was chemistry. We
allowed ourselves the vulnerability to have an authentic relationship in the
sense of the characters. We called each other by our characters' names the
entire time we were shooting the film.
KW:
Eleanor
Boswell-Raine, who is the daughter of the Reverend Hamilton Boswell, one of
the real Great Debaters, wants to know whether you're planning to do
anything with Wiley College.
NP:
Tell her
I just awarded six Nate Parker Scholarships to Wiley students last week when
I was there to deliver the keynote speech at the 100 Men of Excellence
Leadership Conference.
KW:
Laz Lyles
asks, what other charity work do you do?
NP:
I also
deal with a program called Peace for Kids in Compton. And with my mentor, I
started a group in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn called Leadership and Literacy through
Debate.
KW:
When you
look in the mirror, what do you see?
NP:
I see
possibilities.
KW:
The
Zane
question: Do you have any regrets?
NP:
None.
KW:
The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
NP:
Wow,
that's a deep question… It just hit me. My mother was a single parent. She
didn't have enough money to support us, so we lived in my grandmother's
house with my other aunts and uncles. My earliest memories are, when I was
about 3 or 4, of waiting for her to come home from working at BJ's. She
worked double-shifts, so she didn't get home until about 10 PM at night.
KW:
The Mike
Pittman question: Who was your best friend as a child?
NP:
My best
friend was Marcus Johnson. We grew up together. I brought him to college
with me. He didn't have all the opportunities that I had, but I tried to
keep him close as a constant reminder of how blessed I've been.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
NP:
Lasagna.
KW:
The
Boris
Kodjoe question:
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
NP:
Being a
father to my two daughters.
KW:
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
NP:
To take
the steps, and to believe.
KW:
How do
you want to be remembered?
NP:
As a
servant.
KW:
Well,
thanks again, I'm happy that I finally got a chance to chat with you, after
interviewing so many of your co-stars: Alicia in The Secret Life of Bees;
Jurnee and Denzel in The Great Debaters; and
Terrence Howard in Pride.
NP:
I'm happy
you did, too.
KW:
I'm
looking forward to speaking with you about Red Tails when it gets released
next Fall.
NP:
Fantastic, thanks.
________________
Related Links
Blood Done Sign My Name - Film Review
http://bit.ly/blooddonereview
The Great Debators - Film Review
http://aalbc.com/reviews/reviews/the_great_debators.htm
A A Trailer for Blood Done Sign My Name:
