The much anticipated Sony Pictures action movie Colombiana opens in theaters everywhere today. Colombiana stars actress Zoe Saldana, 33, in the leading role as a beautiful trained assassin, who, as a child, witnessed the murder of her parents.
The trailer for Colombiana is a tour de force of revenge, retaliation and butt kicking action. I’m sure Colombiana will have the same empowering effect on your little girls as the films Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones had on my friends and me in the 70s.
Pam Grier starred in 1974’s Foxy Brown, as a gorgeous, big breasted, vigilante killing machine. And at 6 ft 1 in, Tamara Dobson was every black girl’s heroine in 1973 as Cleopatra Jones.
Unlike Colombiana, who has an arsenal of high powered weapons at her disposal, Cleopatra Jones and Foxy Brown used their hands and feet to karate chop their attackers (mostly men) down to size.
As much as black girls were inspired and empowered by the sight of these powerful black women kicking butt on the big screen in the 70s, the NAACP informed us we were being exploited.
In the 1970s, the head of the NAACP coined the term “Blaxploitation” — a combination of the words “black” and “exploitation”, to describe films with mainly black casts that were shown in the ghetto.
Junius Griffin, the head of the NAACP at the time, argued that Blaxploitation films portrayed the ghetto in a negative light by featuring black stereotypes such as drug dealers, gang bangers, hitmen, and prostitutes.
Griffin, who was probably a tight butt, bourgeoise elitist, criticized fun black films like Shaft (starring Richard Roundtree), Coffy (starring Pam Grier), Super Fly, and The Mack (about a fly pimp played by Max Julien).
Films featuring super hero black characters were phased out in the late 70s mainly due to the intense pressure put on Hollywood by the troublemakers at the NAACP.
As ridiculous as it sounds, if this was 1971 instead of 2011, the NAACP would probably label Colombiana a blaxploitation film. Especially considering the fact that Saldana is a mixed female, and Colombiana contains some of the same elements as those 70s films featuring azz kicking black actresses who looked just like us.
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huh?
Ion think this will be as low budget as those damn pam girer movies where she kicks and you see clearly she didnt hit anybody but the fly across the room anyway
NAACP said WHET? We were being exploited? How? Tell them to go EXPLOIT Al’s perm and Eddie Longs loofah sponge he trying to pass off as hurr….
Afternoon Everybody.
I doubt it is as much as I love coffe, cleo jones and foxy brown I don’t think this film is anything of that but I haven’t seen it yet so can’t answer that question.
got me in the mood to watch uptown saturday night tonight.
I’m not gone even lie tho’…….The Mack was my SHIZNIT! LOL
… but Zoe Saldana is not black tho.
I thought Colombiana was based off of her character in the movie “The Losers”
I have to look up Blaxploitation because I never did know what they meant by that. All of the movies that wore that label didn’t have drug dealers in them BUT they did have pretty bad acting. For the most part they were action and drama flicks. Now we call black comedies cooning. Black folks are never happy. Poor thangs.
HIS MOMMY
LUSCIOUS BROWN
Prynsexxes, HTOWN
Seems like a Angelina Jolie type movie to me
I love me some Pam and Zoe has just been added to my list of women I would bat for the other team for. In fact, I got coffy queued up in netflix to get me through that b!tch irene.
CHA CHELLA BELLA!
To answer your question, no. Even though I haven’t looked up the definition yet, I’m sure a movie has to be about black folks to classify as a blaxploitation flick. Not only is Zoe not no parts of black, but the movie is not about blacks. Most important of all it’s not low budget. This is an action flick and my hat goes off to Zoe for snatching the part from Angelina. I hope she smashes the box office. I know I want to see her kick azz.
Cha Cha my Love
but Zoe’s a pretty girl though.
that’s all I got.
Ummmm Zoe is black…
Shhyyyttt….I watched The Mack 2 days ago.
I don’t hafta take this! I’m a rich niqqa! I also own the soundtrack cause Wille Hutch did his thing…
First of all the girl not even black
so NAACP-have a sit right there. So why is it because she 
and taking names she’s being exploited. But the move Kill Bill is a cult classic and she pretty much did the same thing-oh my fault is it because she’s of non black origin. 
H-Townmama says:
Ummmm Zoe is black…
I was sitting here like….
*movie*
Last time I checked…there were black people who spoke spanish too… I’m just saying…
Actually she’s Puerto Rican and Dominican
@Cha
I think people get race and nationality confused. I dated a Colombian who was dark like Tyrese. I dare someone to tell him he wasn’t black because he spoke Spanish as his first language. Zoe Saldana has always called herself a BLACK LATINA.
I suppose only blacks live in Africa too right
PBS had several documentaries titled “Blacks in Latin America”…please check it out
@ CHA – I was confrewwwsed too, LOL!. She is Dominican (Dad) and Puerto Rican (Mom).
Here’s what Zoe had to say about it….because she considers herself black.
“When I go to the D.R., the press in Santo Domingo always asks, “¿Qué te consideras, dominicana o americana?” (What do you consider yourself, Dominican or American?) I don’t understand it, and it’s the same people asking the same question. So I say, time and time again, “Yo soy una mujer negra.” (“I am a black woman.”) [They go,] “Oh, no, tú eres trigueñita.” (“Oh no, you are ‘dark skinned'”) I’m like, “No! Let’s get it straight, yo soy una mujer negra.” (“I am a black woman.”)
Dominican and Puerto Rican is a nationality…not a race.
Thank you at KayCei
That’s why some questionnaires will ask if you are black and non hispanic, because you can be a black hispanic…just saying.
I would recommend people with Netflix watch the movie “Skin”. It was based off a true story that happened in S. Africa.
Her words – not mine.
I digress Kay and HTown Mama… My best friend is exactly puertro rican and dominican as well and she reps hard for her roots but at the same time she considers herself a black woman. I remember the first time I figured out she spoke fluent spanish in the hood I was not only in awe but confused as shyt then she explained her heritage/nationality and it made sense.
I can’t believe some1 said she is not black! Dag on shame..
Right! @ H-Town. I’m popping over to Netflix to get that. It sounds interesing.
I’m not complaining….people of color have come a looooooooooong way from being portrayed as the maids, the butlers, the nannies, the gardners, etc.
We are portrayed in films as laywers (Denzel in Philadelphia) to ig-nant arse baby mammas (ole-girl yelling BYRON in that last Tyler Perry film).
It irks my last nerve when people confuse race and nationality…
Like my coworker..Oh you’re so light to be Jamaican… :rollseyes:
Well you know the only prerequisite to being jamaican is that you are born there right??? When I told her there were white jamaicans it blew her mind. SMH
Ok she’s black
And that dayum Teyanna Taylor (sp) was a nut for that.
Anyone named “Byron” was catching it after that movie released.
Yes Black in Latin America is a good resource for those who don’t know African history. A very good resource
MzTisch says:
………. to ig-nant arse baby mammas (ole-girl yelling BYRON in that last Tyler Perry film).
BYRONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
renegadesince1985 says:
When I told her there were white jamaicans it blew her mind. SMH
@Chase and Naija
It would also help people understand we are really just brothers and sisters. The diaspora affected many of us.
I wanna see it! Hopefully it’s as good as it/she looks.
This is an action flick and my hat goes off to Zoe for snatching the part from Angelina. I hope she smashes the box office
Even though this aint my type of movie……I respect her for be the lead in this movie…I’m sure all the white young actress wanted the part…
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Zoe is slim sexy too!!!!
How I break it down for my country cousin who thinks there can be no such thing as a black Latina.
Three boats left Africa with one of three sisters on each one. One boat took a sister to Hispaniola where her descendants speak Spanish. One boat took a sister to Martinique where her descendants speak French. The third boat took a sister to Florida where her descendants speak English. You don’t change the race of each descendant by the language she speaks. Each descendant is still of African origin.
It looks to me as if Zoe has it right – she doesn’t appear to be confused about her nationality/race….she’s clearly stated she’s black. Doesn’t matter where her people came from, obviously.
And I’on care what the damn gal is! She’s beautiful, she’s a damn good up & coming actress (LOVED her in the Star Trek movie), and I, like Bird, am glad she sat Angelina ass in the corner, and got this role.
Kudos Zoe!!
Well let me clear up any confusion about my statement. Blaxploitation films are about American Black people not Latins, not Africans, not black Frenchmen, Russians etc. I assume Zoe is of African and European decent (black and white), but as a Latin (mama and daddy) has a culture that is differant from ours and Blaxploitation movies ain’t about that culture. Why yall tryna be funny on a Friday afternoon?
Race and nationality are two different things like @renegade said…
Her race is black, her nationality is Puerto Rican/Dominican…
Pam Grier’s race is black, her nationality is American
How hard is this to understand? Anyways, I don’t think this film will be considered Blaxploitation because it will likely have good acting, big budget effects, and dramatic storylines…For some reason I thought of that movie with Bridget Fonda ‘The Point of No Return’ when I saw these previews, a yt girl out for revenge, same thing in ‘Kill Bill’….so how is this different because the leading lady is a black woman?
How I break it down for my country cousin who thinks there can be no such thing as a black Latina.
Three boats left Africa with one of three sisters on each one. One boat took a sister to Hispaniola where her descendants speak Spanish. One boat took a sister to Martinique where her descendants speak French. The third boat took a sister to Florida where her descendants speak English. You don’t change the race of each descendant by the language she speaks. Each descendant is still of African origin.
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Well put!
renegadesince1985 says:
It irks my last nerve when people confuse race and nationality…
Like my coworker..Oh you’re so light to be Jamaican…
Well you know the only prerequisite to being jamaican is that you are born there right??? When I told her there were white jamaicans it blew her mind. SMH
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Well to be fair…In this day and age…You could be a White man, but consider yourself to be a Black woman…Im just saying. As somebody who has worked in Hollywood, I don’t like non Black people portraying Black characters. It must be nice to bounce back and forth between ethnicities playing Latino one day, and African American the next. Nothing personal, but work out their is already limited…Anyway, no this is not Blaxploitation. Eventhough the term sounds bad, many of those films were classic. Homed girl could never be a Tamara or a Pam or a Vonetta for those women were Godessess. Big beautiful bad mamajammas. This chick here is just a hollywood chick. A size zero. A sign of the times. She could never ”scare” me like Pam did. I truly believed she could kick my azz.lol. Good for her for snagging a lead role tho…It aint easy…
H-Townmama says:
I would recommend people with Netflix watch the movie “Skin”. It was based off a true story that happened in S. Africa.
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Just added to my Blockbuster queue and bumped up the #1.
@H-Townmama I agree but unfortunately some people like to be disassociated with “black” that I’m not sure we’ll ever get to that point
2know the ledge says:
I doubt it is as much as I love coffe, cleo jones and foxy brown I don’t think this film is anything of that but I haven’t seen it yet so can’t answer that question.
got me in the mood to watch uptown saturday night tonight.
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Except I wanna go home and watch ‘Car Wash’…
I have a male friend who is Dominican and he said they tend to consider themselves black.
Pam Grier was a bad b*itch back in the day
the movie looks like it’s “okay” I’ll wait until it goes on netflix or ondemand 
brenden says:
Well to be fair…In this day and age…You could be a White man, but consider yourself to be a Black woman…Im just saying. As somebody who has worked in Hollywood, I don’t like non Black people portraying Black characters. It must be nice to bounce back and forth between ethnicities playing Latino one day, and African American the next. Nothing personal, but work out their is already limited…Anyway, no this is not Blaxploitation. Eventhough the term sounds bad, many of those films were classic. Homed girl could never be a Tamara or a Pam or a Vonetta for those women were Godessess. Big beautiful bad mamajammas. This chick here is just a hollywood chick. A size zero. A sign of the times. She could never ”scare” me like Pam did. I truly believed she could kick my azz.lol. Good for her for snagging a lead role tho…It aint easy…
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Oh Brenden I love it when you talk all grown and smartie artie!!
his chick here is just a hollywood chick. A size zero. A sign of the times. She could never ”scare” me like Pam did. I truly believed she could kick my azz.lol.
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Pam Grier tits were the truth….
I agree partly with Brenden she is the standard Hollyweird size and not at all the like the beautiful women in the other films named. Even though I think Zoe is beautiful too and I am glad she puts people in their place about her race cause she could of just let people think she was latin. I think this movie is not a Blaxploitation film though.
@Bird
Who cares where she’s from. Zoe is an actress, she could be cast in a Blaxploitation movie. That’s like saying that Jennifer Hudson could not portray Winnie Mandela because she’s not african.
Anyway this is not a blaxploitation movie cause the movie is not from a black perspective about black folks…and how could this be a Blaxploitation when the most important thing is missing….to have mostly BLACK actors. Zoe is the lead but then it’s like 99& non black.
I don’t know about all of this Auntie Sand but what I do know is that I flucks with any movie showing a woman kicking azz.
I’ll see an Angelina Jolie movie just because she’s in it. Loves her!
Now I do agree that Zoe is a “safe” black chick that Hollywood is not scared to market. She is tiny and she has some features that wouldn’t be considered overly “ethnic”. So although she has a pretty brown complexion, she is still safe for marketing purposes…it’s all bullshyt for sure because like @brenden said, black american actresses now have to compete with black latina actresses for the already dwindling roles out there…but I can’t knock her hustle…she’s a cute chick and she appears to deliver well in this movie…
That’s like saying that Jennifer Hudson could not portray Winnie Mandela because she’s not african.
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She SHOULDN’T have gotten casted for that role…have you seen the promo’s from that movie…chit looks ratchet….she dont couldnt muster up a fake accent….
Negrito says:
@Bird
Who cares where she’s from. Zoe is an actress, she could be cast in a Blaxploitation movie. That’s like saying that Jennifer Hudson could not portray Winnie Mandela because she’s not african.
Anyway this is not a blaxploitation movie cause the movie is not from a black perspective about black folks…and how could this be a Blaxploitation when the most important thing is missing….to have mostly BLACK actors. Zoe is the lead but then it’s like 99& non black.
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Wait wait wait. How you gonna say all that in the first paragraph and turn around and repeat what I already done said in the second paragraph? I like Zoe in Drumline and even better in the blue alien flick that done slipped my mind. Yall pickin on The Bird. That’s alright.
Now I do agree that Zoe is a “safe” black chick that Hollywood is not scared to market. She is tiny and she has some features that wouldn’t be considered overly “ethnic”. So although she has a pretty brown complexion, she is still safe for marketing purposes…it’s all bullshyt for sure because like @brenden said, black american actresses now have to compete with black latina actresses for the already dwindling roles out there…but I can’t knock her hustle…she’s a cute chick and she appears to deliver well in this movie…
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I agree she is safe…I see they didnt offer the role to Gabby Union…cause that wouldnt have been safe…
I think that fact that Zoe is not AFRICAN-American is what gives her a lot of roles….she’s “black”….but not really…..ya know what I’m saying….
I don’t think I want to see that Winnie Mandela movie simply BECAUSE JHud is playing her…JHud annoys me to no end…
FeFe says:
I don’t think I want to see that Winnie Mandela movie simply BECAUSE JHud is playing her…JHud annoys me to no end…
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True!!! I mute the sound as soon as her WW commercials come on………
@chiby
I hear what you are saying…she’s not TOO black…she’s black “light”
Gabby Union did a really good job in Bad Boys II when she had to kick butt and do stunts. She held that role and made it sexy and I was hoping she’d get cast in future big budget roles like that…
chibytex says:
She SHOULDN’T have gotten casted for that role…have you seen the promo’s from that movie…chit looks ratchet….she dont couldnt muster up a fake accent….
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Say it ain’t so! I cain’t stand that shat. Somebody tell me why Idris and Chiwetel gotta have perfect English accents to be in our movies, but we can’t commit to mastering foreign accents for movies that call for them. I love me some Angela Bassett, but I wanted to kick her butt playing Biggie’s mama. I pray you’re just jiving because I was really looking forward to this movie.
I like Zoe in Drumline and even better in the blue alien flick that done slipped my mind. Yall pickin on The Bird.
I didnt even finish it…I cant get down with the science fiction chit….I’m more of a indie film type of person…I like movies that teach, stimulate, or intrigue me…I dont like a whole lotta graphics and hoopla….. 
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Avatar bored the chit outta me
I meant black “lite” …
Ohhhhhhhh, she was in AVATAR?
I’m with Ms. Chiby…it bored me too. I still haven’t seen it all.
Well, that’s explains it. If you are in a cast of a film that had substantial blockbuster success the lead roles/opportunities will come.
@FeFe
Dont get me wrong I dont like Gabby cause IMO she always, always plays the black bougie “sophisticated” women….except in Cadillac Records in which I actually enjoyed her in….BUT I would be good if she were casted in more movies just because I get tired of seeing the same “blacks” in the movie….
I finally watched Jumping the Broom yesterday and it actually pretty decent…Angela Basset annoys me sometimes with her sound effects and facial experssions but she delivers for the most part….I dont like the lady that played Jason’s mama….she is SOOOOO typecast and her facial and sound effects annoy me to high heaven…
Paula Patton and Tasha Smith cant act…Megan Goode however will forever be that bich you love to hate…she is just so damn sexy in every movie she plays in….
MzTisch says:
Ohhhhhhhh, she was in AVATAR?
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She was the voice of the avatar girl…..
@MzTisch
Lol, yeah she played the love interest of ol’ boy in the wheel chair…she was the lead female role for the authentic N’avi people… I liked her in Avatar, I remember when I saw the previews in the movie that she’d start getting the huge big budget roles…
renegadesince1985 says:
It irks my last nerve when people confuse race and nationality…
Like my coworker..Oh you’re so light to be Jamaican…
Well you know the only prerequisite to being jamaican is that you are born there right??? When I told her there were white jamaicans it blew her mind. SMH
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People don’t realize that there are WHITE African-Americans too….
Born in Africa calls America home… And trust me they take fullll advantage of that name when it’s convenient… scholarships, companies who have to hire minorities, on the most applications you just have the words Caucasian or African American… I’m black…
@chiby
Yeah, a lot of folks don’t like Gabby (for some reason she never bothered me), but I think she can transition into roles necessary to depict black women in roles OUTSIDE of the stereotypical ones. Think she’s able to hold her own and appear like the girl next door in any film with any type of cast…
Hope this movie is real good. I will probably go see it!
FeFe says:
@MzTisch
Lol, yeah she played the love interest of ol’ boy in the wheel chair…she was the lead female role for the authentic N’avi people… I liked her in Avatar, I remember when I saw the previews in the movie that she’d start getting the huge big budget roles…
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Yup, that’s the formula for a great career. Look at Leonordo Di Caprio. After Titanic, he was rolling in roles….good ones.
But, it doesn’t always work. The first chick from the Transformers franchise (her name escapes me) her career did not take off…AT ALL.
She SHOULDN’T have gotten casted for that role…have you seen the promo’s from that movie…chit looks ratchet….she dont couldnt muster up a fake accent…
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Some people have issues with the fact that Zoe is not a black american and should not be cast as black because she’s a latina. My point is Jennifer being african american should not be an issue when it comes to her playing an african. A black actor should be allowed to play a black person from any country, that’s all.
@Bird
LOL sorry I misunderstood.
You mean Brandy wasn’t Avatar??
#couldafooledme
@Wut
People don’t realize that there are WHITE African-Americans too….
Born in Africa calls America home… And trust me they take fullll advantage of that name when it’s convenient… scholarships, companies who have to hire minorities, on the most applications you just have the words Caucasian or African American… I’m black…
___
Like you this is one of the many reasons why I just consider myself “Black”
Actress Charlize Theron was born in South Africa and lives in America…so technically she IS an African-American…
Like you this is one of the many reasons why I just consider myself “Black”
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I didn’t know that. I love her! She is so beautiful. She was a hot commodity in hollywood for a minute….where is she?
@MzTisch
Her name is Megan Fox and I think she hurt her career with her off-screen antics…or so I’ve heard…and ‘Jennifer’s Body’ wasn’t the most memorable film…
@chiby
Yeah, a lot of folks don’t like Gabby (for some reason she never bothered me), but I think she can transition into roles necessary to depict black women in roles OUTSIDE of the stereotypical ones. Think she’s able to hold her own and appear like the girl next door in any film with any type of cast…
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That a nice positive spin…I cant even hate on what you’ve said here…cause for the most part its true….
I didn’t know that. I love her! She is so beautiful. She was a hot commodity in hollywood for a minute….where is she?
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SHE is sexy as fukk and she did the damn thing in Monster….after she won that Oscar she faded to black…
Oh and I also loved her in Devil’s Advocate….she was so pretty IMO in that movie….
chibytex says:
I like Zoe in Drumline and even better in the blue alien flick that done slipped my mind. Yall pickin on The Bird.
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Avatar bored the chit outta me I didnt even finish it
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I am a SciFi junky and Avatar tried to knock Indendence Day out of my #1 movie of all time slot. I have watched it so much I know all the lines. Laz Alonso was my favorite character in Avatar. He was so gangsta not to mention unrecognizable. Loved him.
I was not imporessed with Jumping the Broom. I love the Akils and had high hopes for that movie, but it didn’t do it for me.
Charlize is a very pretty lady…she’s still working, but a lot of her films are small roles lately. I loved her in ‘The Devil’s Advocate’…I think her rendition of ‘Aeon Flux’ was the beginning of a slow-down for her…I never watched that movie in its entirety, but I remember the MTV Cartoon being freakishly strange…
FeFe says:
@Wut
People don’t realize that there are WHITE African-Americans too….
Born in Africa calls America home… And trust me they take fullll advantage of that name when it’s convenient… scholarships, companies who have to hire minorities, on the most applications you just have the words Caucasian or African American… I’m black…
___
Actress Charlize Theron was born in South Africa and lives in America…so technically she IS an African-American…
Like you this is one of the many reasons why I just consider myself “Black”
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exactly…
@Bird Jumping the Broom had a good message IMO…
Mama’s need to quit babying their sons and stop trying to make them their husband and their life….
It also touched how women can be blind when it comes to what their husbands are doing financially….
chocolate divalicious says:
Actually she’s Puerto Rican and Dominican
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Right. And the Dominican part of her is black – therefore, she’s mixed.
chibytex says:
Pam Grier tits were the truth….
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And they were all natural, unlike the fake broads today.
… but Zoe Saldana is not black tho.
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she doesn’t claim to be black unless their a movie role in it for her.
the rest of the time she is busy telling anyone who will listen
that she is latina.
Afternoon
h-town
renegade
chibytex
brenden
fe fe
wut
cha cha
and staring
Auntie Sandra
@ sandra…MANY people from puerto rico are your complexion. so why couldn’t zoe’s blackness be attributed to both of her parents? what race do you consider puerto ricans to be?
No, it was not that type of film. They are clearly not selling her as a black woman in that movie. The little girl in the film is just a pretty little thing. It wasn’t a bad flick.
Blaxploitation films portrayed the ghetto in a negative light by featuring black stereotypes such as drug dealers, gang bangers, hitmen, and prostitutes.
Um, like actual ghettos? No, say it isn’t so… How dare those “Blaxploition” films be so cruel to be so accurate in their portrayal of a ghetto. News flash: GHETTOS AIN’T GLAMOUROUS MAN!!
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Aww I remember Zoe in her first memorable role in Center Stage…Absolutely loved that movie!
I guess I’m in the minority because I don’t care for her or her acting.
I love Zoe (and if I ever have another girl I’m naming her Zoe) regardless of what people think about her race (which I agree with H-town and Rene on)
There’s more I could say but I’m tired and I’ve got food on the stove so 
could be…
My only complaint is that the storyline doesn’t sound very original. It sounds very similar to Salt with Angelina Jolie.