Tony Todd gave us one of history's Blackest and most horrifying movie characters. How many folks do you know who are willing to say Candyman’s name in the mirror five times? But the movie wasn’t just Black on camera. It was Blackity Black off-camera, too.
#1: Movie producers were worried about a Black man playing the lead role. They went to the NAACP, which supported the film and reminded white producers that Black ghosts were worthy of having stories, too.
#2: Todd associated the pain of the movie with enslavement and oppression. He used that to get into the role but took it a step further by negotiating a payment of $1000 per bee sting he received while playing the role on top of his regular pay. Was it giving reparations? 👀
#3: Todd understood the impact of Candyman and how it resonated with audiences. He used it to do gang intervention work and co-signed Jordan Peele’s 2020 version, which turned up the Blackness even more.
The legacy of the Candyman movie will continue to inspire us as we bear witness to whiteness, hatred, and Black resistance. How does Candyman inspire you to say farewell to the foolishness of anti-Blackness?