Spike Lee’s ‘Chiraq’ Isn’t Strong Enough To Hold The City It Exploits

CHI-RAQ Trailer from 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks on Vimeo.

Dear Spike Lee, Just cause you heard my Big Momma call me June-Bug or Poo doesn’t mean you get to. Most don’t honor the name Chi-raq here, but for the ones that do it’s their choice, our city. Yesterday, like the rest of Chicago (and America), I ran to the Internet to see the trailer for Chi-raq. On a scale from One to Fuck This, I’d give the trailer a “He Could Catch These Hands.” You turned our children’s funerals into a Blaxploitation Greek slam poem chopped with a little Kanye West muted color music. I will never deny what you’ve done for the Black community through film. Last year I was able to attend the Do the Right Thing 25-year anniversary screening and discussion. It was humbling to be in your presence. You were so passionate about portraying the hood in an accurate and honest light. So in my best Deborah Cox voice I am asking Spike “How did we get here?” I’d never heard of Lysistrata prior to the trailer but as a Black woman I may be or am definitely offended that you are implying that if Black women closed our legs, our sons would be still be alive. Excuse me Mama Spike but you can have a seat in the “No Pussy, No Comment” section. If withholding sex could make changes there wouldn’t be a wage gap. And for the record there are women hittas in this city — if you don’t know what a hitta is maybe you should have done more research in the hood. Unpopular opinion (yet still a fact): being in a gang is simil…