Jump to Main ContentJump to Primary Navigation

Where Are All The Black Women In Love On Our Screens?

When it comes to romance, a film genre where a glance across a crowded room can lead you to the love of your life, chasing someone through an airport does not alert security, and standing in the rain to proclaim your feelings doesn’t leave you with a cold, Black British people – and more often, Black British women – apparently don’t exist. 

These films are joyful, easily-consumable, often low to mid-stakes and are released like clockwork throughout the year. But ones with Black British characters often rarely appear, and when we are present, it’s not as the main character, but as a listening ear to the white protagonist; helping them understand where they’re going wrong in their love life, while having minimal development of our own.

That’s not to say we never appear. The most recent feature that comes to mind is Been So Long (2018), the Netflix musical starring Michaela