Letitia Wright and John Boyega on how 'Small Axe' relates to social injustices

Letitia Wright and John Boyega, the stars of Amazon's Small Axe, talks about how it relates to social injustices faced by black people today.

Video Transcript

- This example of block establishment [INAUDIBLE] against my people. And today we are saying enough is enough.

ETHAN ALTER: With "Mangrove" specifically, I mean, I think today in America we're becoming very aware of the inequities that exist in the American justice system. And watching "Mangrove" obviously sort brought back that to light in light of the summer we've had with Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Do you think America is reliving England's past in this regard?

LETITIA WRIGHT: I think what's happening all around the world, especially in America, is again sad to see and sad to witness. And "Mangrove" was an event that happened 50 years ago. We're now in 2020, and we see these similar themes and similar tragedies take place again. It's just a reflection on how much work we need to do as a humanity and how much we need to love each other and have fairness and justice and an understanding of each other on both sides, on both sides of the coin.

So "Mangrove," you know, it's a reflection of what's happened here in the UK, yes, place also a reflection of how much more work we need to do because if you have a project that focused-- you know, focused on what happened 50 years ago and then 50 years later we're still talking about the same thing, that's a terrible problem for us to have as humanity, and justice needs to be fought for, and love needs to prevail.

ETHAN ALTER: Do we need more people of color as lawyers, more people of color as judges? What do you think would help in terms of justice?

LETITIA WRIGHT: I'm just a small fish in a big pond with my opinion, but I do think that no matter who you have on a seat, not so much the color-- the color-- yes, it is beneficial to have more people of different ethnicities and cultures, you know, in these environments. But if the heart posture is not of love, then what's the point, you know? Your heart posture has to be of love, of fairness, and of goodness, and seeing someone-- seeing your neighbor as a human being. That's the first thing no matter your color, no matter who you are. If your heart posture is of love, then you can be trusted to execute your job in the right way. So I think-- I vote for love.

ETHAN ALTER: You're terrific in "Red, White, and Blue." It's a really great project. Obviously right now we're having a big conversation about policing, in this country especially. What did this role teach you about policing and especially the conflicts that Black policemen face in this day and age?

JOHN BOYEGA: That definitely was the key thing for me, the unique conflict of being a Black police officer who is trying to change this institution from the inside. That is definitely a challenge that is problematic for your life and changes everything-- changes your dynamic with family, friends, and within your community, and it's a community that Leroy Logan loved so much.

And to be in this position where you are potentially hated, to be seen as a Judas, as a traitor, but at the same time to see the need for Black representation on the police force to help save young Black-- especially young Black men from being falsely accused, from being abused, as was prominent at the time, it is something that I find to be quite special. And in Leroy's decision making, I saw that as part this character and a role, and I was like, I want to portray that and I want to explore that.

ETHAN ALTER: When it comes to policing, what can change based on looking at our country now based on playing this role? What suggestions do you think you have?

JOHN BOYEGA: I look at Leroy's thought process and various scenes where there were in lesson and the police were actually teaching them the mentality behind the operations. The public are the police, and the police are the public. We are part of these communities and must be seen as part of these communities to connect with the people.

There should be much more emphasis on the protect and serve element, and that's globally. We see what's happened in the States. We also see some cases here in the UK. And then we see over in Nigeria, you know, what's currently happening with the destruction of SARS and thinking about future reform for the police service. So it's a prominent conversation, and to deal with it in this way speaks to a global issue.

ETHAN ALTER: Over the summer, you spoke up yourself at a Black Live Matter rally in London, and I wonder if this role at all gave you the courage to do that, if that was part of the help as you came out really said something really eloquent and meaningful?

JOHN BOYEGA: I am a Black man. I am a Black individual despite my privilege. You know, once I started making stable money, you know, you don't get a sheet that says delete all your friends you knew since you were broke. You know, that doesn't happen. I still have people, you know. I live in a community that I care about, you know?

And this is-- I couldn't live in the happiness of my privilege without the opportunity to lend my voice. And I, in various ways, have been helped by people along my journey, so having the privilege to be able to expand that to others in whichever way has been my pleasure.

ETHAN ALTER: Were you gratified by the response you received from Hollywood? You said, "I think I might not have a career after this," but very quickly everyone came out on Twitter and said, nope, you do. You're fine. Did that make you feel good?

JOHN BOYEGA: It did because it sometimes speaks to a fear that a lot of people I feel can't express because sometimes you're seen as, you know, you're baiting or, you know, you're doing all of that. And if you know the complications of Hollywood and how they make decisions, baiting is not enough. Trust me. If it was, you'd see a lot more. It's not enough. You know, these are nuanced people in these positions.

And so to have that fear quenched by the support that-- you know, these are individuals who actually I talk to behind the scenes. Jordan Peele has sat down with me even prior to show his support of me and to discuss our view on things. And JJ Abrams, who I've worked with, is someone that has fought for me for a very, very long time, and he has always left the door open for honest conversations, and that's negative or positive. We just have that kind of style. So it's good to see them come out and do it publicly as well.