by Kalela Williams
Strangers in a Strange Land
I've never been what some in the media might call a "royal watcher." But this past weekend, I thought about princesses and duchesses, kings and queens.
Like millions of others around the world, I tuned into Coming 2 America, which had its hilarious moments. The flashbacks were fun, although as expected, it didn't stack up to the original. But this sequel created an opportunity to re-watch Coming to America, Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall's 1988 laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, and to revisit why it's one of my favorite movies.
Coming to America isn't just funny. It's darned good storytelling. It's more than a romantic comedy, originally released at a time when Black rom-coms weren't a thing. It's more than a fun and exaggerated spin on a shared Black experience, and it's more than a fish-out-of-water story, although that facet of the film is particularly resonating. A friend of mine who immigrated to the U.S. from Poland as a kid said when he first watched it decades ago he didn't view Coming to America as a "Black" culture film, in part because he didn't know any Black folk in his home country. He thought it was a film for people like him- recently arrived, eager to understand a new culture, and getting things wrong as often as right.
More than anything, Coming to America is about two people connecting while shedding their own stifling upbringings. Prince Akeem is shedding the trappings of a royal life where he does nothing for himself. Lisa McDowell was taught to be smart and independent, but only when it comes to helping her dad run his business. As far as who she'll spend her life with, that's a whole different bottle of Soul Glo.
Who hasn't felt like Akeem or Lisa?
Who hasn't felt like a stranger in a strange land?
Both of these experiences must seem relatable to the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, a fellow American who'd spent her adult life supporting herself in every job from waiting tables to acting on television. She described what being in the royal family has been like, and why she chose to break away, despite knowing that back in the U.S., her life will never be the same. As someone used to a life of independence, she's had to surrender everything from her driver's license to her ability to come and go as she pleases- even going out with friends requires permission.
All royal family members deal with the tabloids, but for Megan, they were especially cruel. She was villainized for the most innocuous of actions, including putting her hand on her pregnant belly. This has the ring of honesty, because while I don't follow tabloids I've seen these kinds of cruel comments on social media.
More than that, Meghan Markle described what it's been like to be treated differently from other royals, and how fearful she is without being afforded the most vital royal privilege of all: protection for herself, her husband and her son. My mouth dropped open like Oprah's did when Meghan revealed that her child's skin color was a concern while she was pregnant with Archie. I felt that she was incredibly courageous for sharing her story of depression and suicidal thoughts. Which can be hard to talk about, right?
I have so little in common with the Duchess, but I connected with her experiences. She told her story with clarity and detail, in ways that we at Mighty Writers teach kids to do. Her narrative is one that so many of us can relate to.
I'm writing from my humble South Philly rowhome on a seven-year-old Mac, wearing an even older pair of pants. But if I wanted to get up right now and go to a coffee shop or anywhere else, I could do it and answer to no one.
The fiction of Coming to America and the true experiences of Meghan Markle are real to me, as familiar as these soft, frayed jeans. That's the power of storytelling. It can connect us across any divide.
Kalela Williams (kwilliams@mightywriters.org) is MW's Director of Writing.
Get in TouchMighty Writers is a class 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2009. One hundred percent of the programs we offer are free. We serve communities in and around Philadelphia, PA, as well as in Camden, Newark and Atlantic City, NJ. We also run writing workshops in Washington Heights, NYC.
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