Lena Waithe provided the words—or the poetry, rather—that made the bones of Queen & Slim and Grammy-winning director Melina Matsoukas added the meat. Together, the mutual muses created art…bold, Black art.
Both creatives, who freely admit to their obsession with lovingly and honestly amplifying Black experiences, not only praise Black women, but credit them with their success.
During an interview for Queen & Slim, Matsoukas told ESSENCE, “I’m here because of Black women. All the people who have given me opportunities in my career have been Black women. They have supported me, thrown their arms around, me and raised me up.
“I do the same for them because they’re my sisters,” Matsoukas added.
The bond that Matsoukas and Waithe have developed and nurtured is obvious. The entire movie feels like it was hugged by a Black woman. “We were given a space where we were able to create and really develop the ideas between us,” Matsoukas shared.
The entire movie feels like it was hugged by a Black woman.
Waithe told ESSENCE that no notes were given or taken from anyone white with Queen & Slim. Both artists were very intentional about ensuring that every vein of the film pulsated with Blackness.
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