Unsung Heroes of White Hollywood | Privilege of Legends

In the fictitious universe of cinema, the hero takes on several forms…

On occasion donning a cape or tights, they can wield superpowers that overcome the nefarious villain with picture-perfect timing before the film’s end credits. They are the lone gunslinger who rides off into the sunset; the trench-coated detective who cracks the case in the nick of time; the swashbuckling lion heart who swings in from high – whereby rescuing the damsel in distress and thus saving the day. Whether it’s the Cinderella arc or the achilles heel, the rebirth or the tragedy, these heroes and heroines share the liberty of a common privilege: the godlike immortality of living forever on screen. 

But the sad and untold truth is that not all heroes have enjoyed similar fates. Indeed, the biggest flaw of history is its selective memory. And, as the pages have turned and the chapters surmounted, some of the most incredible heroes have been literally whitewashed from our collective minds. 

Read the full essay for Privilege of Legends here.