• Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • OTE – Screen Kings
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • The State Of R&B
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Entertainment

Privilege And Police: 'Queen Sugar' Returns With Timely Social Message

OWN's hit show came back with a seriously powerful incident everyone was talking about.
Privilege And Police: ‘Queen Sugar’ Returns With Timely Social Message
OWN
By Danielle Kwateng-Clark · Updated October 26, 2020

Beloved OWN drama, Queen Sugar returned for its second season with episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the first season a plethora of topics were tackled, from death to sexuality and family conflict. And while we didn’t expect anything less this time around, writers went full speed ahead and addressed police brutality in the debut airing.

 

Reading #QueenSugar #GimmeSugar hashtags. Funny. Sassy. Clever. But the ones about this scene... heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/P2szOcyyQn

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) June 21, 2017

Davis and Charley Bordeleon West’s son Micah was the victim. The choice to have the teenager be the focus on the social commentary was deliberate— he’s a picture of innocence, has always lived in privilege as the son of an ex-NFL player, and he’s carefree.

Pulled over for speeding —in coincidentally his new convertible— Micah observes protocol and attempts to pull out his license. Immediately thoughts of Philando Castile and Amadou Diallo flood the minds of those familiar with the cases of Black men simply trying to comply with officers by showing their identification.

The officer draws his gun on Micah, and the suspense created is an all too familiarity anxiety for some viewers, but could very likely be a first for others.

Pray for Micah. #QUEENSUGAR pic.twitter.com/VLvYUNM1IK

— Queen Sugar (@QueenSugarOWN) June 21, 2017

The beauty in Queen Sugar, aside from the exceptional cinematography, is that it brings to surface everyday issues Black Americans deal with in poignant storytelling. Jarring to the unfamiliar, the reality of being killed on-spot by an officer of the law is real. It’s real, and it’s scary, and it’s unbelievable— but it literally happens all the time. 

An unfortunate act of survival. #QUEENSUGAR pic.twitter.com/YorpomYg2F

— Queen Sugar (@QueenSugarOWN) June 21, 2017

Let's all gather around and form a prayer circle for Micah's safety. #QUEENSUGAR pic.twitter.com/P686iVcf0Q

— The Root (@TheRoot) June 21, 2017

What unfolds after the pullover is a mix of upset and grieving. Upset, in Davis having to take a selfie/shuck-and-jive with an officer in order to get see his son. And grieving in the deceased innocence of Micah, now having felt the reality of his Blackness. 

 

Let's all gather around and form a prayer circle for Micah's safety. #QUEENSUGAR pic.twitter.com/P686iVcf0Q

— The Root (@TheRoot) June 21, 2017

 

 

 

Micah is at a crossroads where his blackness is overriding his privilege. I'm here for his awakening! #QueenSugar pic.twitter.com/kYMBxFH48b

— Antonio Perry (@Aseop) June 22, 2017

 

Aunt Nova is always , always there for Micah. 😢 #QueenSugar pic.twitter.com/jovOxJ5XrB

— AvaDuVernay Fans (@avaduvernayfans) June 21, 2017

As a top trend for Twitter both nights, Queen Sugar has done the impossible. It’s acknowledged Black humanity, in an inhumane paradigm. It’s made Black beautiful but also shown the burden of it. And most importantly, it’s created dialogue about the Black experience on a mainstream platform. 

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now