Dedicated readers of Arts and Culture, self-acclaimed cinephiles and manipulative film bros, we are in full swing for award season. From the Critics’ Choice, to the highly anticipated Oscars and even the BAFTAs, prepare for the drama of it all.
Between November and March, varying Arts and Culture sections of newspapers and journals are stacked with raves about the nominations, wins and losses for the films of the year. And, this past Sunday, from across the pond, our royal neighbors hosted the 79th British Academy Film Awards, also known as the BAFTAs. Hosted by Alan Cumming, films such as “One Battle After Another” and the amazing “Sinners,” which received 13 nominations at the BAFTAs, making it the most nominated film by a Black director in BAFTA history, were just some of the films recognized.
However, amidst this frenzy, I was appalled to see a clip of award hosts, Michael B. Jordan, who was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for “Sinners” and Delroy Lindo, who plays Delta Slim in “Sinners,” being called the n-word, with the hard “er,” from audience member, John Davidson, who is diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome (TS). Stunned by the racial slur, the two continued “doing what they had to do,” quoted from Lindo, as they went on announcing the next set of nominees/winners. To no surprise, there have been several streams of online discourse justifying this because of Davidson’s condition.
Davidson attended the BAFTAs on Sunday evening as the subject of the nominated biopic “I Swear.” The film’s leading actor, Robert Aramayo, won the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Davidson, whose condition causes him to have involuntary vocal tics/ outbursts. Reported by Variety, Davidson had multiple outbursts of obscenities throughout the night, prompting floor managers to warn guests and attendees about his condition and what they might hear.
The slur was cast three times, with “Sinners” production designer, Hannah Beachler, writing on X: “the situation is almost impossible, but it happened 3 times that night, and one of the three times was directed at myself on the way to dinner after the show…I understand and deeply know why this is an impossible situation. I know we must handle this with grace and continue to push through…But what made the situation worse was the throw away apology of ‘if you were offended’ at the end of the show. Of course we were offended.”
This was posted following the lackluster and ultimately, crass, statement issued by Alan Cummings on behalf of the BAFTAs, stating, “Tourette’s Syndrome is a disability and the tics you’ve heard tonight are involuntary, which means the person who has Tourette’s Syndrome has no control over their language. We apologize if you are offended tonight.”
The lack of accountability and understanding for the damage done to the Black attendees, awardees and viewers is not only deplorable, but a bigger nod towards not just Hollywood’s, but society’s passiveness with anti-Black racism. It is also important to note that the BAFTAs are not a live event, and thus this incident was recorded, edited and broadcast with the slur intentionally left uncensored. My question is: why was this left uncensored?
Now, I understand the difficulty of the situation, given that TS is uncontrollable; however, I have several grievances with this situation and its mishandling.
One: for one to shout the n-word, involuntary or not, this means that the n-word is an active part of your vocabulary. As a non-Black person, that word should not in any of its variations be part of your vocabulary, including renditions of singing along to lyrics.
Two: Why are Black people constantly being forced into situations where they must comfort their aggressor? Michael B. Jordan, Delroy Lindo and Hannah Beachler were called the n-word, a hateful word used historically and presently to perpetuate physical, emotional and mental violence on Black people, yet, they must conform to “being understanding.” Andrew Cumming provided another insensitive remark following the incident saying, “You may have noticed some strong language in the background. This can be part of how Tourette’s syndrome shows up for some people as the film explores that experience… Thanks for your understanding and helping create a respectful space for everyone.” The irony of this is that the space wasn’t respectful for everyone. Black people, again, were disregarded in this attempt to make a respectful space. It’s similar to when Black caretakers are subjected to racist remarks, spitting and hitting from their white patients who suffer from conditions like dementia and are supposed to be okay with it. Or when white students drink excessively, become belligerent and haul out racial slurs. It’s not an excuse, it’s not okay, and Black people shouldn’t be coaxed into making the perpetrator feel comfortable, even on accounts of disorders or whatever else.
Three: This entire situation represents a bigger issue in society with people being passive to displays of anti-Black racism. From the constant racist remarks by the President of the United States to the normalization of the casual use of the n-word, specifically by non-Black people, it seems the world, in its entirety, has a problem with Blackness. It seems that inclusiveness, respectability and empathy are virtues highly valued when it comes to groups of people who are not Black and this stems from the practice of distancing Blackness from humanity and the dehumanization of Black people. I want to double down on my use of the word ‘anti-Black’, because it is intentional in specifying the ways that anti-Blackness, or a fear of Blackness, appears both within the Black community, but also in other communities of color and white society.
With the BAFTAs being a British broadcast and the mishandling of the casual use of the n-word, there is a clear line of anti-Blackness being cross-continental, but also casually acceptable. Quite frankly, I am sick of dealing with incompetence and a lack of education when it comes to race, especially in the year of 2026.