Where are the stories of Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ folks being centered fully and unapologetically? When we speak of the importance of representation, intersectionality should also be the basis. With all due respect to some of the Black and Brown shows tackling issues and stigmas, we need to see more unapologetic Black and Brown Queer and Trans storytelling and content. In my view, we have seen enough Black and Brown series and films that center the oftentimes, dull, predictable and mundane cis-het gaze. With that being said, we have to actively support Black and Brown Queer and Trans people who are creating their own projects and actively challenging status quos. There is no question that every aspect of society has not only reaped the benefits of what Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ folks have planted, but the erasure, co-opting and theft against these communities are persistent and apparent. It is crucial to center narratives, stories, and perspectives that not only are deconstructing societal stigmas but also stressing the importance of these communities simply existing, being loved on, cherished and protected to the fullest extent. As white supremacy is the basis of every industry, including the entertainment sector, we really have to ask the question, who is this for?
I find myself asking that a lot as I often see the lack of diverse Black and Brown narratives led by folks within our communities. With the legacies of shows such as Patrik Ian-Polk’s “Noah’s Arc” and Janet Mock and Steven Canals’ “POSE,” we have seen a fraction of what impact can be had on Black and Brown intersectional communities when we are authentically represented but with these shows now off the air, what is it, that we do? Recently, I sat down with filmmaker Ronald Hinton, the creator and actor of a new series titled, “NATIVES,” which is centered on the experiences of Black and Brown queer, twenty-something native New Yorkers exploring adulthood in New York City projects. What was and still is clear from Hinton is his one-thousand percent investment and passion towards representation and expression for Black and Brown communities being centered unapologetically, as well as in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes. Whether it is from discussing his experience as an Afro-Puerto Rican to what he loves about his craft, “NATIVES” is a love story about community, family, the complicated nature of life and basking in who we are. The work that both he and the cast are investing into should not be taken lightly, as the scarcity of these narratives is grotesquely still common.
Please start by introducing your name and pronouns. Tell us about yourself.
Hello, my name is Ronald Hinton and my pronouns are he/him/his. I am an actor, filmmaker, born and raised in New York City and I’m Afro-Puerto Rican. I’m working on a pilot called “NATIVES,” which is inspired by my experience growing up as a queer, Afro-Puerto Rican in the projects of NYC.
Share a little about your upbringing in New York City and about your journey as a storyteller.
For me, the inspiration for this show came from me not seeing myself reflected in all of those different intersectionalities. I’ve seen myself physically reflected on the screen, but I have not seen many stories about Afro-Latinidad, I haven’t seen many stories about queerness, being Black, Afro-Latine and Queer, etc. All of those different intersections don’t really exist on TV too much. They’re starting to gain a bit more traction, but at the same time, I don’t believe that it’s always as authentic as it could be, because the writers and producers behind these projects aren’t typically of this lived experience. So, that for me is a frustrating part that we really need to work on and to give more detail to. We should try and strive in this industry to be more authentic in that right, in general.
As a storyteller, I’ve been an actor since I was twelve years old. Storytelling is all that I’ve known I have wanted to do. It’s been interesting to see that transition as an artist though, because I started as an actor and I just thought of myself as an actor for a lot of my life. What inspired my storytelling was a frustration for not being able to see myself. I was in a four-year acting program at PACE University and I was studying everything I wanted to do. I had auditioned for BFA programs when I was looking for colleges and when I went to PACE, they said that they were introducing an “Acting for Film, TV, Voiceover, and Commercial” majors and they were just introducing it. Whoever auditioned for their program would be considered for that. I have always loved tv and film, more especially. I love acting (don’t get me wrong) and acting is acting but there is a difference in terms of acting on the stage versus acting on the screen. So, when I went to that audition and they announced that, I was like, this is meant to be. And, I got in!
In our third year of our acting program, we had to take this “type” class and so, we had to bring scenes from films and tv shows that fit our type; our essence. Ideally, these characters look and think like us and I was having a really hard time doing that, because while I found myself reflected being a Black man on TV, I was having a hard time finding my queerness represented. I was finding scenes where a lot of the characters were cis and hetero, so I was like, these are not necessarily the type of characters I want to play. Acting is a lot of truthfulness and I want to bring my truth to it. A lot of times, it didn’t feel like it fit me. And so I was really frustrated and approached one of my professors, she was our only Black professor (an actress herself) and I was just telling her how frustrated I was about that and she just simply looked at me and told me, “Ronald, if you don’t see yourself reflected on screen, create it.” That was mind-blowing because looking back, I didn’t think that my stories were desired. I didn’t think they were relatable as much and I didn’t think they would want to be seen on screen, so I had never thought about writing my own stories. So when she said that, I was like, “Wow, okay.” And that led me to write a web series with my best friend. I would still love to produce it at some point. It was about our experience being RAs and that kind of started my journey in writing. It went from there.
Let’s talk about “NATIVES.” What has inspired you to create this story? What has the process been like, thus far?
“NATIVES” follows a group of unapologetic, queer Native New Yorkers who are navigating adulting in the projects of New York City. Again, I never truly felt like I saw my New York reflected on screen. One of the first shows I saw that I recognized about New York City was “Gossip Girl” but I didn’t recognize it fully because it was like an incredibly wealthy and different life. But, I recognized locations. It was also one of the first shows I really felt that were shot on location [in New York City]. There are so many shows based in New York City where they’re shot on sets, they filmed in Toronto and so many places. As a New Yorker, I knew that. I know that it’s not New York, so when will we show my New York? When will we show the New York I knew, growing up in public housing? I don’t think that public housing is ever really shown in the media and if it is, it is “Law and Order,” examples from using drugs, a gang, or something like that. There are so many other nuances in public housing that we don’t explore and which remain untapped. I grew up in public housing, along with a lot of my friends, who are driven, who are determined, who are educated, who are artistic, as they’re striving to reach their goals in this climate and are hitting them. We smoke weed. We are all Black and Brown. But, that’s still not a hindrance like the media portrays it to be.
With “Insecure” and “POSE” doing great wonders for our community, storytelling is powerful. And I think as filmmakers, it is our duty to keep in mind how people are going to perceive what we put out there. Because what we put out there, not everyone has that experience to know what is factual. So a lot of times, our communities are portrayed in ways that are not authentic and are not truly representative of us, especially because the people behind them are not of our experiences. And that leads other people to believe these stereotypes, to believe these things that do not reflect us in a positive light. Media is one of the most powerful tools that influence people’s knowledge about societies and cultures. So, I really wanted to create this project from my experience. My whole team (which I brought in) are Queer, Black and Brown folks; everyone including the graphic designer, the photographers, the videographers, etc. I strive to make sure that a lot of these people are Native New Yorkers, as well, because who better to tell our stories than us? With my production company (Shared Soil Productions), one of my biggest goals is to have my cast and crews as authentic as possible, because only we can tell our stories.
I am really excited about “NATIVES.” We are crowdfunding right now as we are trying to raise $20,000. It’s a lot of money, but at the same time, we‘ve had so much support. Our community really wants to see this and wants to get behind these stories. I have gotten so many beautiful messages saying how people are excited about seeing this project and about how they feel, and the importance of content like this being made. We went on the streets of New York to interview people and to try to get them to contribute and to bring awareness to our series and one of the biggest answers that we got was, “yes, I would love to watch something like this” and “this type of content is needed.” It’s a beautiful and incredible feeling. There’s only two series ever to feature a queer, minority-led cast. And, that is Noah’s Arc (2005-2006) which lasted for only two seasons and POSE (2018-2021), which lasted for three seasons. So you have all of these shows that are eight seasons, sixteen seasons, that feature predominately white casts, but when it comes to queer people of color, our timeline is so short concerning these opportunities in media.
Where do we go from here, considering the influence of storytelling? What do you hope to do with this series?
I truly hope that I empower folks through this interview to create their own work, especially if they’re from these communities because going back to it, I truly believe that unless we do it in front of people’s faces, unapologetically, it’s not going to change. We can’t wait for anybody to give us opportunities. We’ve been waiting and we have seen what that has done. It’s time for us to really take advantage and tell the stories we want to tell and that can be through crowdfunding and more. I think it is always important for us to create it and to bring this visual medium to them [those who watch and consume content]. In the sense of, this is an experience I know and look how I have created this and have shown this world in a way that you could never. And look at the people who have been behind me. Relying on your community and not being afraid to create your own work with any medium, even if you have a little budget, you can still create things. I recently shot an emotional documentary about men of color’s experiences with their hair, which was really beautiful and exciting. We shot that all with our iPhone and got into our first film festival over the summer, which was really exciting. I want to empower any creators and artists, or anyone who just feels like their story needs to be told, to create it.
I just really want our community to feel seen and to see themselves reflected and to see themselves and to have our experiences normalized. I think that one of the biggest things is that, when you actually see yourself represented in authentic ways, you actually start to feel like your experiences are a bit more relatable, that you also have other people who go through this same thing and that you’re not alone. I really want this to be a show that kids can see which allows them to kind of come into their identities on their own, without society informing that. I want older people who have lived in New York to see themselves reflected through Abuela and a lot of our characters. Showcasing this wonderful community and how people from public housing, who oftentimes are portrayed by the media and others who tell them that they’re “lazy” or “not enough, “ I want them to know that it’s possible and that you don’t have to conform to the ways that society tells you, you have to be. I want people to see the New York I have experienced and that I’ve known. It’s not all glitz and glamour, we go through a lot of difficulties, especially working-class people in the city, who are some of the hardest working people, but we still manage to have a community and to be there for each other.
END OF INTERVIEW.
Family, love, community. This is what “NATIVES” is all about. For those who claim to support representation, our feet must be kept on the gas. And, we have to actively continue to search, support and amplify Black and Brown Queer and Trans storytellers and what they strive to do. It is essential for Black and Brown intersectional folks to be centered without apology and fully. As much grace is given to the wretchedness of white mediocrity, for how long are folks going to continue to support the same predictable wells where whiteness is the base and the center? When I spoke with Ronald, I felt that everything he voiced came from excitement, joy and love. There is something incredibly energetic and humbling with sharing spaces with dedicated disruptors and challengers. There is something beautiful about communities being appreciated and supported. There is something beautiful and sacred about intersectional identities and how as Black and Brown people, we are not a monolith. As I am praying that “NATIVES” happens, it is vital to mention that there is no greater story or narrative than those which translate to real-life treasures of what our community entails. As a series that is about living in your truth on your terms and believing in yourself, “NATIVES” and Ronald Hinton once again remind us how powerful, revolutionary and crucial Black and Brown joy is. The key is to never forget your power and how you deserve to be represented authentically.
You can support “NATIVES” by contributing to their crowdfunding goal and spreading the word through their site. They currently have $16, 246 out of $20, 000 left for production, so let’s make it happen!