In 2012 a young woman known as “Jane Doe” to the public was found dead next to two bottles of sleeping pills. This was her third and final suicide attempt, bringing an end to a life that had only lasted thirty years. In her death certificate, it’s reported that she suffered from depression, drug abuse and PTSD due to sexual trauma.
That’s where Nate Parker and Jean Celestin come in, respectively the director and cowriter of the film The Birth of a Nation. They allegedly raped this woman in 1999 while attending Penn State. According to the victim she was unconscious during the incident, and after reporting it claimed the men harassed her. While Parker got off scot-free, partially because they had had consensual sex before, Celestin was found guilty and charged with assault.
Parker recently spoke of the incident, saying, “I stand here, a 36-year-old man, 17 years removed from one of the most painful moments in my life.” He then goes on to spout empty platitudes about his love of women and the issue of sexual violence.
These hollow words can’t bring his victim back to life. A once brilliant and outgoing student, she soon dropped out of college and developed a drug addiction. Her brother told Variety that “If [he] were to look back at her very short life and point to one moment where [he] think[s] she changed as a person, it was obviously that point.” In short, Nate Parker was instrumental in ruining this young woman’s life.
Of course, that doesn’t stop people from fawning over Hollywood’s latest golden boy. Many have accused the media of trying to smear his name because of his race, while others see it as a small misstep that he handled with maturity. Fox Searchlight released a statement saying “[We’re] aware of the incident that occurred while Nate Parker was at Penn State. We also know that he was found innocent and cleared of all charges. We stand behind Nate and are proud to help bring this important and powerful story to the screen.”
In other words, virtually no one is supporting Jane Doe, even though it’s obvious that her rape had a tremendously negative impact on her psyche, to the point where she committed suicide. This, unfortunately, is to be expected in a society steeped in rape culture and victim blaming. The same excuses being made for Parker are remarkably similar to those made for Bill Cosby, Woody Allen and Johnny Depp to name a few.
It’s inconvenient to see men that have been idolized as miniature Gods tainted by such horrific behavior, so everyone tries to find reasons to justify their actions. This, of course, is a problem that extends far beyond Hollywood. Society doesn’t take women seriously, as we’re continuously painted as shrill, overemotional creatures. I’d go so far as to say that we’re not even completely seen as human, our pain somehow not as deeply felt. It’s this lack of empathy that allows people to see crimes such as rape and domestic violence, ones that overwhelmingly affect women, as less than horrendous.
While I was initially excited to hear about the release of The Birth of the Nation, I now know I can’t bear to see it. My heart aches for the poor woman who was in so much pain she took her own life, and there’s no way I can directly support the man who had a hand in that. I urge everyone else to do the same. As long as the people who commit such atrocities go unpunished, it’s the least we can do for the women who’ve suffered.
