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M AGAZI NE
19 R.L. BYRD
Melanated Excellence!
THE GENIUS BEHIND FILM ENTREPRENEURS, NOBLE M. JOHNSON, OSCAR MICHEAUX & TYLER PERRY. If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. — Comedian, Milton Berle
Born in the beginning of the film industry (July 12, 1908), comedian Milton Berle said, "If
opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." And with a career that spanned some 80-years in film and television, one might say Berle was a master of creating opportunities that contributed to his success and career longevity. And while Berle was able to create, open, and stand inside the doors of opportunity he created, people of color were relegated to stand outside the doors of others; the reality of building their own similar doors of opportunity almost impossible. Closed industry doors, Jim Crow racism, stereotyped role casting, race-based film censorship, lack of funding, distribution challenges, and problematic movie theater exhibition were just a few of the long list of obstacles melanated entertainers and film makers faced. Creating one's own favorable circumstances—in environments where doors were bolted lock and door knocks were few—required persistence, drive, wit and unwavering fortitude to go the extra miles to build a whole building (rather than just a door) while knocking down the many obstacles that stood in the way. Noble M. Johnson, Oscar Micheaux, and now Tyler Perry are among the melanated pioneers who didn't just build doors of opportunity for themselves (and others); they went the extra miles and built buildings—knocking down obstacles and creating opportunities from the inside out. Their journeys, unbeknownst or forgotten by many, are to some degree similar (as with Oscar Micheaux and Tyler Perry) or interconnected (as with Noble M. Johnson and Oscar Micheaux). 19/ 0 4 6
