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John Singleton, 28 July 2016
Asking questions … John Singleton at PBS’s The Talk panel. Photograph: Latour/Variety/Rex/Shutterstock
Asking questions … John Singleton at PBS’s The Talk panel. Photograph: Latour/Variety/Rex/Shutterstock

John Singleton: police brutality 'goes all the way back to slavery'

This article is more than 7 years old

First African American to be nominated for best director Oscar calls police attitudes in the US symptomatic of ‘inherent, systemic racism’

John Singleton, whose 1991 film Boyz N the Hood depicted police prejudice in South Central Los Angeles, has attacked the current state of law enforcement in the US, saying it shows “inherent, systemic racism”.

Singleton, speaking ahead of the premiere of The Talk, a PBS documentary about police violence towards the black community in which he is among those interviewed, said the current status quo was the legacy of slavery.

Singleton said he feels parents often encourage their offspring to adopt a submissive attitude toward law enforcement as a result of America’s segregated history.

“I’m not [talking about] being confrontational,” said Singleton. “Just asking questions of the people who are supposed to be protecting you and serving the community. But you can’t even ask them questions.

“That’s inherent, systemic racism to me. Because it goes all the way back to slavery for me, of a whole system trying to control black men. If a white man says something, he’s always right. Never question a white man.”

Boyz N the Hood made Singleton the youngest ever best director Oscar nominee – as well as the first African American to be up for the prize.

In 2014, he criticised Hollywood studios for “refusing to let African Americans direct black-themed films” as well as black genre film-makers for not pushing artistic boundaries.

“They want black people to be who they want them to be, as opposed to what they are,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “The black films now – so-called black films now – they’re great. They’re great films. But they’re just product. They’re not moving the bar forward creatively.”

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