Justice Smith on the ‘American Magical Negro Society’ and the ‘insidious, microaggressive’ nature of racism

Justice Smith is preparing for the premiere of “The American Society of Magical Negroes.” The actor plays the foremost character, Arena, in Kobi Libii’s debut film, which goals to deconstruct the stereotype of the “magical Negro” perceived in the media. TheGrio caught up with Smith ahead of the premiere and talked about the mixed reception to the trailers, what drew him to the project and what he thinks audiences can take away from the film.

As TheGrio previously reported, ever since the film’s trailer hit the web, the schedule has been flooded with differing opinions about the project. Smith told us the controversy made for some interesting and “fun” press coverage, allowing him to publicly engage with discussions he’s having privately. “It’s a really fun press tour because of all the controversy surrounding it. I feel like these are conversations I have in my private life. I am constantly examining race and colorism… it’s nice to be authentic in a public space.”

“It’s a story about a very diverse experience of what it means to be black in America,” Smith explained. The film depicts a secret black society with magical powers that help make white people completely happy, thus maintaining balance in society. He said Smith’s upbringing allowed him to attach with the script almost immediately.

“When I read this book for the first time, I saw myself in it,” he said. “I grew up in Orange County, California, a very white place. I internalized a lot of messages from my white peers, which resulted in a lot of shame and a lot of compromise… it was a dark time in my life and it was only after leaving that environment that I was able to find my own, gain personal strength and identify with the community, and I’m very grateful for that. that I now have people in my life who see me.”

“I understood the vicious cycle of this character: ‘I feel uncomfortable in this environment, so my tactic is to reassure, but by reassuring, I allow them to continue to disrespect me, which then makes me feel uncomfortable again,'” he explained. “I knew I could play on those emotional layers.”

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“I was very excited to tell this story because I knew if I had been in this movie growing up, it would have helped me recover much faster,” he added.

When the film finally hit theaters, Smith expressed hope that audiences would give you the chance to enter the theater and express their opinions after seeing it. “I’m a bit of a hypocrite because I also base my opinions on what I will and won’t see based on trailers, but I also know that my best movie experiences have been walking into a theater without knowing anything about it.”

“I think a lot of people who were involved in that initial reaction might watch this movie with hate and then realize that it’s actually a lot better than they think, which excites me,” he added. “But at the end of the day, if you are a Black person and you don’t identify with that particular Black experience, that’s fine.”

“I love this film because it kind of expands the monolith of what black art can be and speaks to the nuances of the black experience in the sense that it highlights how racism has turned into a subtle, insidious, microaggressive thing,” he says. he stated.

“The American Society of Magical Negroes” premieres on Friday, March 15.