Birth of a Rapist: Why I Won't Support Nate Parker's Film

This month marks the 33^rd anniversary of my first sexual experience. Although this is not a story of willingly losing my virginity, but one of being forced through sexual abuse to have sex with an adult who should have known better than to have sex with a six year old child. Thirty-three years later, the memories are still fresh of that August night when my innocence was stolen. With time, the pain has lessened, but there is still pain.

So imagined how shocked I was to hear of Nate Parker and his sordid past as a perpetrator. In 1999, while a college student at Penn State on a wrestling scholarship, Parker was accused of raping a young lady. Not only was accused of raping her, he invited two fellow friends to join in. One guy, Jean Celestin, a fellow wrestling teammate and his co-writer on Birth of a Nation,  decided to participate, a third guy, decided to leave.

When the case went to trial, Nate got off, not because he was innocent, but because in 1999, apparently prior consent (Nate and his victim engaged in oral sex the day before the rape) was good for a lifetime! Jean Celestin was sentenced to six months in jail. However, his case was appealed, and he too was exonerated after the victim refused to testify and go through the trauma again. This should be the end right? No!

Severally traumatized, Parker’s victim implored  Penn State to move her out of her dorm. The university moved her off campus, but published her telephone number in the university directory. Parker and Celestin then hired a private investigator to follow her. Once they found out her new location, began to stalk her outside of her new residence and her classroom buildings.

Eventually the young lady decided to leave school for a bit because it was all too much. She returned a short time later, and Parker and Celestin continued with their harassment and even recruited other students to do the same.

Eventually she dropped out of school altogether. She attempted suicide twice unsuccessfully. Finally in 2012, at the age of 30, she was successful!

Parker and Celestin recently co-authored the film, Birth of a Nation, which highlights the great slave rebellion of Nat Turner in 1831. After appearing at Sundance, Foxlight Cinema purchased rights to the film for 17.5 million.

Many African Americans salivated at the thought of our story being told about slavery where we are more than just slaves, but are revolutionaries.

A small segment of black women, who always support black men are in conflict because supporting Parker means supporting a rapist, but not supporting him means being accused of being a hater of black men.

Black men are honoring the bro code. You know the one that says stand with your fellow brother no matter how outrageous or repugnant is behavior is. Most of them are of the adage that this is the work of white supremacy and angry black women trying to take a “good brother down”. The same men who wailed when George Zimmerman was found innocent of murdering Trayvon Martin, or when four of the six officers who murdered Freddie Gray were found innocent, now all of a sudden tout their belief in jurisprudence in Parker being found innocent. But also know their own behavior is just as repugnant as Parker's (If you have ever had sex with someone unconscious or too drunk to give consent, or participated in a "train", I am talking about you!).

By the way, Nate’s purchasing studio invited Variety and Deadline for interviews thinking they were getting ahead of a big pr storm, but instead, people with a moral compass were saying the rape allegations were too serious for them to ignore, despite the apparent significance of the film.

Many thinkpieces have been written, some supporting, and others rightfully vilifying Parker. Some individuals, are really conflicted. Let me say unequivocally, fuck Nate Parker and his film. I refuse to give my dollars to any man, black, blue or purple, who would violate someone, stalk them after the fact, and then 17 years later play the victim and opine about how much the “incident” has affected his life without any remorse or care for the carnage left in his wake.

The only time Parker has shown contrition is when on August 16,  it was revealed that his victim committed suicide in 2012 and once more people became aware of his unscrupulous past.

Yes, Birth of a Nation details African American history, but I am also an avid reader, and when I want to get true history, not Hollywood gloss, I crack open a book.

As a sexual abuse survivor, and a male feminist, my first concern is with protecting and supporting others who have experienced the same trauma. This supersedes race, gender, economics, celebrity idol worship, or any of the myriad of things that may cause others conflict!

Until next time…..