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HBO’s adaptation of 'Between the World and Me' is a poetic reflection of what it means to be Black in America

November 27, 2020

Phylicia Rashad in Between the World and Me

Photo courtesy of HBO
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Breanna Robinson

I can earnestly say that HBO has captivated my heart yet again with a film adaptation of the 2015 novel ( and open letter), Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates', encapsulating the poignant experiences and stories of being a Black American in all walks of life.

The drama, documentary, and spoken word directed by Kamilah Forbes, is something that combines a beautiful integration of film and theater that only TV can effortlessly produce.

In addition, the adaptation of Coates' New York Times bestseller was at the Apollo Theater in 2018. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Yara Shahidi, Angela Bassett, Angela Davis, Phylicia Rashad, and many others recited specific sections of the open letter to his 15-year-old son with all the heavy emotions in every ounce of his being, just the way his truth deserves to be spoken on. The reflection also touched on the Black Lives Matter movement, when it wasn't widely accepted, and the senseless murders of young Black men.

From the initial moments in the film, several images are presented, furthering the scope of Black American culture. Between the World and Me uses elements of cultural analysis of what is happening within the nation, nostalgia incorporating historical moments such as Malcolm X and his numerous speeches as well as the infamous photo of him peaking through curtains to see out of the window with a rifle in his hand. For many Black Americans, this photo represents the will to protect their family, themselves, and overall peace.

There are definitely moments where you might feel an overwhelming amount of emotions ( I definitely had moments where I teared up) such as Phylicia Rashad, taking on the monologue as the mother of Prince Jones, one of Coates' Howard University friends who was senselessly murdered by the police, highlighting the grief of every Black mother who has ever received the call that their child has been gunned down at the hands of law enforcement. Mahershala Ali is also shown, silently crying as he discusses his experiences finding love and his child's birth.

Also, what was interwoven between these moments of dialogue were photos and home movies of Coates' life. Coates' writing is so relevant that the visual representations in 2015 at the book's conception to the present day really are more than updates— we're experiencing it every day.

Another scene that caught my attention was when Wendell Pierce relayed the story of an incident in Manhattan when a woman bumped into Coates' young son at the time, refusing to apologize for doing so. Defending the woman's blatant disregard, a white man yelled, "I could have you arrested!"

At this point again, I teared up because it reminded me of moments in my childhood when I would receive stares and scorn at times from adults when I was playing outside, and even a brief moment in middle school when a boy blatantly told me to my face that he didn't really like n*****s due to the color of my skin.

It also made me think about all the instances of Black men and women being arrested, murdered, and assaulted on the premise of lies and insinuation from segregation to the present day.

Essentially, as specific as Coates' personal story is to him, it is also a story that is universal, understandable, and shared collectively within the community because to a certain degree, we have experienced or know of someone who has experienced and reflected on the emotional struggles and glories of being a Black person in America.

With that, I believe that HBO, in every possible way, has worked to create something precious, going outside of the box of traditional artistic expression to highlight the reality of the world and the perspectives within it.

between the world and me

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Can tech help female entrepreneurs break the bias?

Women founders continue to come up against common challenges and biases
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Written by Kelly Devine, Division President UK & Ireland, Mastercard

Starting a business may have historically been perceived as a man’s game, but this couldn’t be further from reality. Research shows women are actually more likely than men to actively choose to start their own business – often motivated by the desire to be their own boss or to have a better work-life balance and spend more time with their family.

The recently published Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurship 2021 found that in the category of 'Aspiration Driven Entrepreneurship’ – capturing those who actively choose to start their own business – women in the UK surpass men: 60% vs 56%. And Mastercard research from February 2022 found 10% of female business owners started their business in the past two years compared to 6% of men – meaning women were 67% more likely to have started a business during the pandemic.

Yet, there are common challenges that women founders continue to come up against - not least the gender imbalance in the household and long-held biases which are still prevalent.

In the UK, women are almost three times more likely to be balancing care and home commitments than men, and this was exacerbated during the pandemic as the additional barriers of school closures and lockdowns meant that the care time of dependents rose significantly on a day-to-day level for women. In addition, women were less likely to have access to a home office, greatly impacting the work they were able to accomplish when working from home was the only option.

It's also widely known that female business owners are still more likely to struggle to access funding for their business ideas. According to Dealroom, all-women founding teams received just 1.4% of the €23.7bn invested into UK start-ups in 2021, while all-male leadership teams have taken almost 90% of the available capital.

Without financial support, and when juggling significant time pressures both at home and at work, how can women grow their companies and #BreaktheBias (as this year’s International Women’s Day termed it)? What tools or support can save them time and money, and give them the headspace they need to focus on building their business?

With female owned businesses collectively estimating revenue growth of £120 billion over the next five years, solving this problem is bigger than supporting women – it’s about supporting the national economy.

Using tech to level the playing field

There are clearly societal issues at play that need to be resolved. But when we look at the rise in technology businesses during the pandemic, we can plainly see an alternative source of support critical for business growth: digital tools.

A third of female business owners say new technologies will be crucial to the success of their business in the future and one in five say it is the most important thing for business growth.

With new technology comes new ways to pay, create, and work. And yet there are barriers that prevent business owners accessing this technology. Women are significantly more likely to say they want to use more digital tools but don’t know what is best for their business and also more concerned about the security of digital tools.

When technology is adopted by businesses – whether using online accounting solutions or messenger services for communicating with staff – it saves them time, allows them to maintain and grow their customer base, and ultimately increases cost savings and profit.

By drastically improving the training and support that is available to women-owned business to access and utilise technology we will allow these businesses to grow and succeed. And we know there is demand for it.

Research done by the IFC and Dalberg shows that female entrepreneurs are more likely to invest time and money in business development. This includes product development, customer base expansion, and digital tools and training and there are plenty of services available offering this type of support – many of them for free.

One such programme is Strive UK – an initiative of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth – which aims to reach 650,000 micro and small business owners across the UK and empower them with the tools they need to thrive in the digital economy through free guidance, helpful tools and one-to-one mentoring.

Working together with small business experts – Enterprise Nation, Be the Business and Digital Boost – we hope to ensure hundreds of thousands of UK female business owners have the tools they need to succeed and reach their ambitious goals. Because this ambition remains strong in the UK, with female business owners largely optimistic about the future despite the multitude of challenges they are facing. Four in ten say they will grow their business in the next five years – compared to only a third of male business owners – and they’re also 35% less likely than men to say they plan to downsize or close the business.

But if we do not empower female entrepreneurs to access the tools and technology they need to grow, there is a risk this optimism could be misplaced. Support programmes that provide business owners with guidance and mentorship can help ensure this isn’t the case, allowing female entrepreneurs to not only survive but thrive in the months and years ahead.