In a field of giants, Barkhad Abdi was in good company for the Best Supporting Actor Award. While he didn’t win for his depiction of a Somali pirate, not a bad result for his first acting career.
In the flash of Hollywood, it can be hard for a first time actor to hold on. When that actor is typecast, it can be even tougher. So that then is the struggle ahead for Abdi.
Without a lot of roles for Somali pirates, or even general African badies, Abdi has had a hard time nailing down his next roles, despite the accolades. Hopefully he’ll find his footing free of seas legs.
Susan X Jane is a diversity educator, speaker, and trainer and coach. A former professor and media literacy activist, she now consults with organizations looking to make sense of our current cultural shift. She thinks a lot about media and race…a lot...and writes and speaks about media…and race... and encourages everyone she meets to think about the way our identity shapes our experiences, ideas, and beliefs about the world. If you're reading this, she wants you to think about it too. Want to talk about it? Let's go.
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Susan X Jane 