Jurnee Smollett visits Budapest

Award-winning African American actress Jurnee Smollett visited Budapest between March 1 and March 3 to highlight U.S. Embassy Budapest's event series celebrating Black History Month 2011. The visit of the actress was part of the State Department's Speaker program. Ms. Smollett talked to a number of audiences including various high school and university student groups and a group of important cultural figures of the Hungarian society. She talked about the importance of Black History Month and the achievements of famous African American leaders as well as the historical background of the movie "The Great Debaters", in which she played a leading role, and about the civil rights movement.

More info:
http://hungary.usembassy.gov/event_03012011.html

Transcript of the interview:

I am here in Budapest to bring Black History Month. I was invited by the U.S. Embassy here, and so we're talking about the Civil Rights Movement, we're talking about different African American leaders, who have contributed to certain freedoms that we now enjoy in America, we're talking about arts, the arts and how African American artists have contributed to our American culture. And I myself am an actress in American, and I've been fortunate enough to work with great American artists and actors, and we're showing a few of the films that I've done here in Budapest, like The Great Debaters we showed, and I think a few people have seen some of the television shows that I'm currently on too, which was fun. I really enjoyed speaking with the young people here in Budapest. They are so bright and curious. At first they are a little shy and at first they are a little timid, but our visits to some of the schools have been so enlightening to me, and they've been food for my soul in a way, because interacting with these young people I've learned a little bit more about the Hungarian culture here. And just to hear them speak, and hear them speak about frustrations they have here, and certain obstacles that they see that their culture has, certain prejudices that exist here in Budapest, and I've heard them say that they wanted to change, and we've tried to tie that into the African American history and how African Americans were oppressed at a point, and were demeaned in certain situations, and I tried to share experiences and a little bit of our history in order to show that communities can overcome anything.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• VISDIP
• US
• Embasssy
• Budapest
• Black
• History
• Month
• The
• Great
• Debaters
• Defenders

[ReignzOfBrainz]

Lol, I feel you, it's mad random that she's talking to Hungarians but, hey, I guess it doesn't really matter, as long as someone's learning, it's all good.

[Yobachi2007]

Why Budapest?

The U.S. Embassy needs to invite you to speak to people about Black History in the United States. Mofos here don't know anything, how are we trying to educate Hungarians.

LOL, good for her though. She's continuing to do positive things.

[jpowers55]

So glad she married a black man. I hope he is good to her.

[Fredrieka42507]

I love the fact that she came up in the business and yet you didn't see her out and about showing her God given glory or in the spotlight in the negative sense. A well grounded spirit and she does not act like she is more than she is.

[HoiPolloiOhJoy]

Beauty is so common; It's the personality I love

[ManicRaider]

@chsn09 Fuck you.

[chsn09]

@ManicRaider Well then YOU should have stated your intentions because I was speaking in general. I know that NOT all are like that. If you stated that from the beginning then there would not have been any confusion on my part from what you said.

You call me a coward huh? Well perhaps YOU MUST be the real coward since you referred to me as a pathetic cowardly creature. That reflects you more to the fullest. I'm still here =)

[chsn09]

@ManicRaider Well I'm speaking in general so I will say what I want but thanks for attempting to tell me what to say!

I say what I want =)

[8luvbug]

she looks like tisha cambell

[chsn09]

@chetubetcha05 Wrong! Only people who think that people will call her black are the ones who keep that Jim Crow mentality alive. People logically would see a mixed person and ask what they're mixed w/. I don't know why blacks like to hold onto the racist one drop rule that was used to oppress them and keep them in their place.

This just came up as a thought as I was watching this. I am a fan of Jornee Smollet especially since Eve's Bayou. She is so cute and has blossomed into a beautiful woman