John Singleton: A Man of Great Impact.

An editorial by Azzam Abdur-Rahman I haven’t written something for this blog in a while. It’s not because I didn’t want too it’s because well, my personal and work life made it hard to have a hot take or present an idea clearly. But the news of John Singleton’s coma has driven me to work past that and write something because I feel it’s important we shout out a huge voice in Black Cinema who I feel has been forgotten by the zeitgeist. John Singleton was the first time I ever saw a director who looked like my father or me. As a young boy I knew Lucas, I knew Tarantino and I knew Spielberg but I didn’t know a single director who looked like me at all. Singleton was the first time I saw a black man directing films with weight and telling important stories about being black in America. Boyz In The Hood, Poetic Justice and Rosewood tank among some of my favorite films. They were honest and were able to cut to the core of you as a person. Even Singleton’s Hollywood work was fantastic. His Shaft films was sleek, sexy, fun and had great reverence for the earlier films. That was many young African American’s first introduction to Shaft as a character. His sequel to The Fast and The Furious ranks as one of my favorites because of his ability to direct actors. Singleton was able to make the late Paul Walker sound even more believable in his role as a former agent while still giving him that Point Break vibe the script and scene obviously call for. I know critics were harsh in that film but watch it again and tell me it doesn’t feel like a perfect blend of actions and drama. I write this Incase we lose him. Singleton should never be forgotten. His work is the reason we have Ryan Coogler, Shonda Rhymes, Ava DuVernay, and so many more. We have to be thankful for the people willing to knock down the doors for the rest of us. We have to remember them and we have to speak highly of them. Thank you so much John Singleton and I hope you get well soon!