There was a rumor that Leonardo DiCaprio would play the role of famed civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, and the black Leftists reacted like raid-sprayed roaches.
According to the rumor source, DiCaprio was to be put in “blackface,” in order to look the part, since there is little doubt about his acting prowess, and thus his ability to pull it off.
As it turned out the rumors were patently false, and had been started by a satirical website.
In truth, Oliver Stone is making a biopic about Reverend King, but is said to be considering Jamie “Obama is my God” Foxx for the role, and not Leonardo DiCaprio.
Nevertheless, the firestorm that began over the possibility of DiCaprio in the role is interesting on many levels.
Why can’t a white man play a black man, iconic though Dr. King might be. I personally have no problem with it. But may blacks (racists all) were livid at possibility, showcasing the rift in the Leftist community. The fact is, black Leftists will tolerate white Leftists only so far.
Here are some of the comments. Many I simply won’t post:
