Letitia Wright 'tormented' by Britain's history of racism while working on new miniseries
Letitia Wright 'tormented' by Britain's history of racism while working on new miniseries - The Number One magazine feat. news, reviews, movie trailers, cinema, DVDs, interviews + film & movie gossip UK & worldwide.
Letitia Wright is still trying to process her experience of working on new miniseries Small Axe.
The actress appears as Altheia Jones-LeCointe - the leader of the British Black Panther Movement - in the show, which is based on the real-life experiences of London's West Indian community and is set between 1969 and 1982.
Speaking to Porter magazine about the anthology programme, the star admitted it's "special" to her because she's "so used to seeing other people’s cultures (onscreen)... Now it’s their turn to be educated".
“I immediately got it, y’know," explained Letitia. "Hearing the lingo that you’re so used to hearing in your own household, how we dress, how we interact… That was beautiful to see.”
Reflecting on her experience on set, the star went on to confess she was better educated about the history of anti-racism in America than at home.
"That’s one of the reasons why I feel it’s so important that we do Small Axe – because so many young people, especially young Black people, are walking around without the knowledge of what’s happened prior, and of the people who were taking a stand," she said.
One particular learning experience for Letitia was discovering London’s 1981 New Cross Fire - a suspected arson attack that killed 13 young Black people at a house party in south-east London, with one survivor who committed suicide two years later.
“I think the New Cross Fire for me was… I went to bed after reading about that and I felt tormented," she admitted, before revealing she met up with Altheia, who is now a research scientist in her 70s.
“We just cried and held each other’s hands – and I promised her that I’d leave a mark with who she was as a person as best as I can," she told the publication.
Small Axe debuts on BBC One and Amazon Prime Video next month.
The actress appears as Altheia Jones-LeCointe - the leader of the British Black Panther Movement - in the show, which is based on the real-life experiences of London's West Indian community and is set between 1969 and 1982.
Speaking to Porter magazine about the anthology programme, the star admitted it's "special" to her because she's "so used to seeing other people’s cultures (onscreen)... Now it’s their turn to be educated".
“I immediately got it, y’know," explained Letitia. "Hearing the lingo that you’re so used to hearing in your own household, how we dress, how we interact… That was beautiful to see.”
Reflecting on her experience on set, the star went on to confess she was better educated about the history of anti-racism in America than at home.
"That’s one of the reasons why I feel it’s so important that we do Small Axe – because so many young people, especially young Black people, are walking around without the knowledge of what’s happened prior, and of the people who were taking a stand," she said.
One particular learning experience for Letitia was discovering London’s 1981 New Cross Fire - a suspected arson attack that killed 13 young Black people at a house party in south-east London, with one survivor who committed suicide two years later.
“I think the New Cross Fire for me was… I went to bed after reading about that and I felt tormented," she admitted, before revealing she met up with Altheia, who is now a research scientist in her 70s.
“We just cried and held each other’s hands – and I promised her that I’d leave a mark with who she was as a person as best as I can," she told the publication.
Small Axe debuts on BBC One and Amazon Prime Video next month.
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