John Singleton is dead.
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He was an extraordinary talent whose work inspired me to become a storyteller. A trailblazer who, in an era where stories about the “black experience” in America were not the norm, presented stories that spoke to so many who have or still endure any level of “the struggle”. (No disrespect to Spike Lee who deserves the same recognition & who, fortunately, is still with us.)
Singleton was an inventive filmmaker from his beginnings at USC where he studied cinematic arts & developed his chops, writing style & eye for visual presentation. Through those skills, Boyz N the Hood came to fruition. What a way to debut! From there we would see him consistently bring the idea of what it meant to be typically young & black in urban America to silver screens everywhere. Higher Learning, Poetic Justice & the historical recount Rosewood followed. All impactful & thought-provoking & philosophically challenging. He produced Hustle & Flow & Black Snake Moan. He directed Four Brothers & most recently created the FX drug drama Snowfall. As a black man telling stories about the world he knew, the harsh truths always came through in his scripts, in his lens, in the performances.
In a 2014 masterclass at Loyola Marymount University, Singleton lamented the state of black film in Hollywood at the time. That great films were being made, but mainly only from the position of “churning out product” & the bottom line. Coming from a businessman whose succeeded regularly in the industry, I took his words seriously & could see his point. ‘They aren’t moving the bar forward’ he said. It’s a poignant, intelligent & inspiring talk that also gives a peak behind how he developed his art throughout the years.
I don’t know that Singleton’s work or words inspired the likes of Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, Barry Jenkins, Tyler Perry, Antoine Fuqua or any of the many other black filmmakers who’ve forged paths in recent years but I like to believe they must have. The filmmakers who followed have found their voices & conveyed the truths of their experiences from behind the camera –often with brilliance. I can’t help but wonder if they would be doing so without the presence of Singleton some 30 years earlier.
Thank you, Mr. Singleton, for your influential work, unique voice & your brave efforts to bring the modernized version of the African-American experience into the mainstream & onto the global consciousness.
Thoughts & prayers with your loved ones in this time of loss.
Rest in power.