
‘If Beale Street Could Talk’: The Cast Talk Colorism & The Importance Of Black Love

Barry Jenkins, the Oscar-winning director of Moonlight premiered his third film at the Toronto International Film Festival.
If Beale Street Could Talk is an adaptation of the 70's James Baldwin novel, a story centered around a young black couple in Harlem whose worlds are drastically changed when the fiancé is falsely accused of rape.
Newcomer KiKi Layne at TIFFGetty Images
Starring Stephan James and newcomer KiKi Layne as Alonso "Fonny" Hunt and Clementine "Tish" Rivers respectively, Beale Street is a story that depicts black love in its purest form amid the harsh backdrop of racism and prejudice in America. And it is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. Through the acting, storytelling, and directing, Jenkins ensures that we feel seen and heard. He told xoNecole:
"'Moonlight' is a depiction of the family I grew up in. If 'Beale Street' is the family I wish I had."
While black love comes in many variations, the beauty of the film is heightened by the fact that its leading cast all have dark skin. With colorism impacting many actors in the industry, particularly black women, it's refreshing to see characters with actors' of a darker complexion portrayed in this light. The film feels like home; yet, reminds us that we haven't really seen this type of family on screen. Actress Teyonah Parris, who plays Tish's sister Ernestine in the film, added:
"It's important because you see three different women in such different places in our lives. Different representations of black women. And we all have very different personalities. I think it's really important to be showing a black family unit that's intact and fighting for each other with everything they have. That's what gets them through. Their worlds turn upside down, but they love each other. That's what's really at the heart of all of it."
Teyonah Parris makes an appearance at TIFF.Getty
Regina King and Colman Domingo also star in the film as Tish's parents, Sharon and Joseph Rivers. When asked about the casting of dark skin characters in his films, Jenkins revealed:
"It's not intentional, but it is something that I find myself being conscious of for sure, only because it's been such a long history of one particular type of colorism in our industry. When I write a script. I don't see the character and who they are. I'm having an open mind to the color of that person. Within our spectrum. It shouldn't be dictated one way or the other. The actor comes in. They should get the part."
Interestingly enough, Fonny played by James was originally written as a light skin man. "This might be the one time the source material called for a light skin person, and Stephan just came in and said, 'Nah. This brother is chocolate,'" Jenkins continued.
Stephan James as Fonny'If Beale Street Could Talk'
Many actresses have spoken up lately about colorism and the impact it has on women in the industry. Amandla Stenberg, who stars in The Hate U Give, which also premiered at TIFF has been pretty vocal about the topic. In an interview with Variety, she acknowledged her privilege as a lighter skinned, racially ambiguous woman both in life, as well as art. "Me and Yara and Zendaya are perceived in the same way because we are lighter skinned brown girls," she said. "We fill this interesting space of being accessible to Hollywood and accessible to white people in a way that darker skinned girls are not."
At the premiere, Parris also offered advice for fellow actresses and the role they can play in addressing colorism in Hollywood:
"Being aware and cognizant of what can sometimes be the disparities, and not discrediting anyone's experience and really hearing each other and trying to find a place where it can become a conversation. And realizing that you probably had a lot more advantages than the other person and making sure that's being talked about and dealt with."
Still from 'If Beale Street Could Talk'
While the industry surely has a long way to go before we see the diversity among black people justly depicted, If Beale Street Could Talk is a step in the right direction. It is Jenkins' love letter to black women.
The film premieres November 30, 2018. You can check out the trailer below.
- The 56th New York Film Festival Presents: If Beale Street Could Talk ›
- Toronto Film Review: 'If Beale Street Could Talk' ›
- Barry Jenkins: Jake Gyllenhaal Helped 'If Beale Street Could Talk ... ›
- If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) - Rotten Tomatoes ›
- [WATCH] 'If Beale Street Could Talk' Teaser: Barry Jenkins' Next ... ›
- If Beale Street Could Talk: first trailer for Barry Jenkins' Moonlight ... ›
- If Beale Street Could Talk Has Romance, Despair ›
- If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin ›
- If Beale Street Could Talk Teaser Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips ... ›
- Barry Jenkins' 'If Beale Street Could Talk' Trailer [WATCH] – Variety ›
- If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) - IMDb ›
- If Beale Street Could Talk - Wikipedia ›
Jaleesa Lashay is a film reporter and TV host in Los Angeles. She focuses on engaging in conversations that challenge representations within Hollywood. For more, follow her on IG @JaleesaLashay.
'He Said, She Said': Love Stories Put To The Test At A Weekend For Love
At the A Weekend For Love retreat, we sat down with four couples to explore their love stories in a playful but revealing way with #HeSaidSheSaid. From first encounters to life-changing moments, we tested their memories to see if their versions of events aligned—because, as they say, every story has three sides: his, hers, and the truth.
Do these couples remember their love stories the same way? Press play to find out.
Episode 1: Indira & Desmond – Love Across the Miles
They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but for Indira & Desmond, love made it stronger. Every mile apart deepened their bond, reinforcing the unshakable foundation of their relationship. From their first "I love you" to the moment they knew they had found home in each other, their journey is a beautiful testament to the endurance of true love.
Episode 2: Jay & Tia – A Love Story Straight Out of a Rom-Com
If Hollywood is looking for its next Black love story, they need to take notes from Jay & Tia. Their journey—from an awkward first date to navigating careers, parenthood, and personal growth—proves that love is not just about romance but also resilience. Their story is full of laughter, challenges, and, most importantly, a love that stands the test of time.
Episode 3: Larencia & Mykel – Through the Highs and Lows
A date night with police helicopters overhead? Now that’s a story! Larencia & Mykel have faced unexpected surprises, major life changes, and 14 years of choosing each other every single day. But after all this time, do they actually remember things the same way? Their episode is sure to bring some eye-opening revelations and a lot of laughs.
Episode 4: Soy & Osei – A Love Aligned in Purpose
From a chance meeting at the front door to 15 years of unwavering love, faith, and growth, Soy & Osei prove that when two souls are aligned in love and purpose, nothing can shake their foundation. Their journey is a powerful reminder that true love is built on mutual support, shared values, and a deep connection that only strengthens with time.
Each of these couples has a unique and inspiring story to tell, but do their memories match up? Watch #HeSaidSheSaid to find out!
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I’ve gotta say that, for the most part, my friends are pretty damn chill. There is one (major) exception, though — and it’s an odd one. Even after all these years and countless times of me giving them the same answer, if there is a time when they think they are my mama, it’s when they see an email come through at an odd hour of the night. Then, all of a sudden, here they come asking me when do I get sleep if I’m emailing at (say) three in the morning.
Again, the answer never changes because, if there is one thing that Shellie Reneé Warren is gonna get, it’s 6-8 (sometimes nine) hours of sleep. However, since my chronotype (check out “Ever Wonder What Personality Traits Make Someone A 'Morning Person'?”) means that I like/prefer to write in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes I will sleep for the night for five hours and take a nap in the day. And y’all, that is just fine with me because I am well aware of the fact that napping does everything from give me more energy, heighten my alertness and even make me more creative to decrease stress levels, strengthen immunity, and reduce my chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
My problem is I will oftentimes go “overboard” with my daytime zzz’s. What I mean by that is, in order to get the most out of a nap, they say thatyou shouldn’t sleep for longer than 25 minutes or so; otherwise, you could wake up feeling sluggish (I don’t but…). Also, it can make resting, soundly, at night a bit of a struggle.
So, what are you saying, Shellie? We should get quickies in? Yeah. And it’s funny that the word “quickie” would come up because just like a sex quickie can do wonders for you (and it can — check out “12 Super Solid Reasons To Have A Quickie Every Single Day”), it’s a full-circle moment when I say that something that can improve the quality of your sex life is to have a power nap (a nap that lasts between 10-30 minutes).
Wanna know how the two things correlate? Honestly, it’s no secret that sleep and sex work together to optimize both (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”). Today, though, we’re going to tap into how a nap, specifically, can have you partaking in some of the best sex that you’ve experienced in a minute. I’ll explain.
Naps Reduce Stress
If you’re feeling super stressed out right now, you are not alone. There is plenty of data out here that says that most of us are stressed for at least a couple of reasons at a time — and that can impact your sexual health on a few levels. For one thing, it can bring about feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Stress can also throw your hormone levels off (including your cycle) which can weaken your libido. Stress can make you want to put distance between you and your partner (yes, literally).
Stress can also make it challenging to get aroused or to have an orgasm. And just what can help to decrease stress? Taking a nap. Since sleep has a way of helping you to “get off of the clock” and relax a bit, that can lower your stress levels and “reset” your body so that you are calmer — and that, in turn, can do wonders for your sex drive and ultimately your sex life.
Naps Improve Your Mood
There is one person in my life, and fairly 80 percent of the time, she’s in a super good mood. Oh, but let that girl go without sleep, and…who is this woman? LOL. There’s research behind why this happens. When a person is sleep-deprived, it messes with their brain chemicals, and that can amplify emotions like anger, restlessness and sadness. In fact, one study revealed that people who had their sleep disrupted throughout the night, they ended up having their positive outlook on life reduced by about 30 percent.
And geeze, who wants to have sex when they’re not feeling very good? Anyway, since serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your moods, your sleep patterns, and your libido and sleep is what helps to keep it in balance — by taking a nap, not only can it help you to feel better, it can also increase your desire for sex (it can also build up your endurance which is also…sexually beneficial).
Naps Increase Your Focus and Concentration
Something that some of my clients bring up is how, when it comes to having sex, sometimes the flesh is willing while the spirit is weak because, although the desire for intimacy is there, so much is going on that they aren’t able to get still enough to focus on experiencing copulation with their partner. This also tracks because, when you don’t have enough rest, your brain finds itself not working in harmony and that can make it hard to do everything from approaching life with a sense of flexibility to making necessary decisions.
Certain data also reveal that a lack of rest can cause you to have a really poor attention span and not process things in context (the more you know). So, if you really want to get some yet it’s hard for you to focus long enough to make it happen, ask your bae to lie down with you and take a nap. Between the sleep and the snuggling (check out “Fall's Coming: 8 Wonderful Health Benefits Of Cuddling”) — you may wake up with your mind and body totally on the same page. #wink
Naps Can Make You Feel Better About Your Body
Even if, overall, you feel really good about your body, I think that we all have moments when we feel less attractive than others — and who wants to have sex when they don’t really feel…very sexy? Well, something else that sleep, in general, can do is increase your confidence in your body.
For one thing, if you want to lose a few pounds, sleep can actually make that happen by helping your body metabolize the glucose (sugar) that’s in it so that you can better manage your appetite. Other studies go on to share that since sleep deprivation can impact one’s mental health and emotional stability in a negative way, of course, getting enough rest would increase body positivity.
Shoot, science even goes so far as to say that insomnia can cause people to have an elevated level of dissatisfaction when it comes to their body image. Don’t take their word for it, though. Look in the mirror before a nap. Then look in a mirror after waking up from me. Do you feel better? I’d be surprised if you don’t.
Makes Your Brain Bigger…Which Could Make Your Orgasms Better
I saved the best for last by design. Now if you’re wondering how in the world a nap can improve (and possibly increase) your orgasms — oh, there is a method to the madness…trust. For starters, the saying that your biggest sex organ is your brain? That isn’t a myth. Long story less long, the brain is what houses your central nervous system and that is what controls how men and women sexually function (yes, literally).
And since the brain also releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin during sex and brain activity significantly increases in women during sexual activity (especially right before she orgasms) — well, would it trip you out to know that when you take a nap, your brain actually expands? A bigger brain (that’s healthy) can potentially intensify your sexual experiences (and your climaxes) — and who doesn’t want that to go down?
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Like I said earlier, I never have to be convinced to get a nap in. However, if your sex life has been a bit stagnant lately, you’ve been feeling a little sluggish and you’re not sure what to do — I’m hoping that a nap can get you right.
There’s enough science to prove that it can. All you need to do is give it a shot.
Now where’s your pillow and sleep mask, chile?
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