Jurnee Smollett plays Dolores in her most recent movie, “We Grown Now.” Dolores is a devoted mother who struggles to raise her son Malik in the chaotic Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago in the 1990s.
Dolores, played by Smollett, is raising her daughter and son Malik in an increasingly violent and chaotic atmosphere that is rife with gang and police abuse. While Dolores wants to protect Malik and instill in him the values of being a young black kid in America, she must also maintain Malik’s innocence. Smollett is entirely aware of the difficulty.
As the mother of a 7-year-old boy named Hunter, “I want you to have your freedom,” she says. “I want you to be happy, but how can I support you using that energy?”
“How can I avoid making you so submissive that you lose your ability to lead? How, though, can I also tell you that you’re a black guy living in America? I do have a continuous challenge figuring out how to adjust this for my son. I want him to be everything that he is.”
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She further added that she wanted him to be fearless and daring. “I want him to go out into the world with no boundaries and no fear of taking flight. However, there’s also that conversation you need to have [about racism in this nation].”
Through the viewpoint of two young boys, Minhal Baig’s film “We Grown Now” masterfully depicts this duality. Blake Cameron James’s character Malik and Gian Knight Ramirez’s energetic neighbor Eric are great friends.
Keeping his kid safe in the face of social evils is a comparable struggle for Eric’s father, Jason (Lil Rel Howery). The movie examines Black childhood, innocence, and the precarious equilibrium between empowerment and safety.
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Chicago native Howery considers the movie’s influence as he was born and raised in Chicago, acknowledging the era or the time when everything happened.
“Upon our initial talk, I realized that Minhal truly understood me. To be honest with you, I get a bit scared sometimes when folks attempt to relate stories about Chicago. This one was simply exquisitely written and executed. I adore that these two young men are providing their perspectives. Those kinds of friendships are uncommon among black males. It was quite innocent.”
Smollett recalls the stormy ’90s, growing up in Los Angeles and acting as a youngster in films like Eve’s Bayou. She infused her persona with early life elements during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Because of her anxiety and uncertainty at the moment, she was able to comprehend Malik’s emotions better.
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“Most of the guys I know who watch this movie are tearing up at the end because you forget how innocent those friendships were at that time, especially being young black men.”
“We Grown Now” serves as a powerful reminder of the challenges faced by black parents and the resilience of their children as they navigate a world that often fails to recognize their humanity.
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