Black Hooker

***The staff of the Jim Crow Museum receives dozens of letters and emails. Some of these communiques offer insight into race relations -- historically and in the present. While some are hateful, we have decided to share some of these letters and emails with our Internet visitors.***

To whom it may concern,

My father wrote, directed and produced the film "Black Hooker." Number 1 he was black; therefore, I don't think that his intent was to be racist, although the film may have come across that way. Number 2, the original name of the movie was "Don't Leave Go My Hand," which happens to be a milestone in black theatrical literature being originally directed by Vantile Whitfield, one of the most important directors of black theatre in the 1960s and 1970s. Number 3, as for the son in the film being white "my father" would have told you that he cast it that way to make the point that color didn't matter. That's what he told me. The truth is he had a chance to hire someone who looked a little more mulatto (Burt Ward from television's Batman). Durey Mason, the person who played the part, had blond hair, and was blue eyed. The fact was that my father had a crush on Durey, and it was kind of a love at first sight thing. My father wanted the person playing the son to be mulatto because he was mulatto. My father's mother was probably a lady of the evening, and she left him with an aunt who was a probably a Madame. So Black Hooker isn't a product of racism; it was inspired by my father's sad life experience. Certain differences should be noted, for example, his mother was an extremely loving and giving person, despite all of her faults. However, one's own children can be very judgmental and perceive their parents harshly. Believe me: it took an enormous amount of time for me to come to terms with my father's homosexuality. But that is another issue. Let me say again, I really don't believe that my father was trying to be racist when he made this film, very confused yes, but not racist. I am sorry if it comes off as being so.

Robert Roberson
-- August 13, 2006