Favors, peace and blessings is a motto actor and R&B artist Algee Smith lived by since his rise to stardom in films. Smith’s favor from God led to an opportunity to portray Ralph Tresvant in BET’s 2017 TV series “The New Edition Story.”
As for the peace and blessings, the peace of Smith was showcased in the film “Detroit” which transpired years later into a blessing starring in “Judas & The Black Messiah.”
The Saginaw, Michigan native spoke with us about his role as Jake Winters in “Judas And The Black Messiah” and a similarity every Black man can’t escape.
“I feel like the way I relate to him one for sure would be the obvious. I’m a young Black man in America. I see the oppression the same way Jake Winters saw the oppression,” Smith said. “There needs to be a Fred Hampton in the world right now and we need that. We need those leaders but the world right now feel like Jake Winters.”
Smith could bear the grievances of the entire world via the BLM movement and its approach in the wake of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s death. Unity was key through protests labeled as riots and peaceful walks from everyone hearing the cry of Black America.
“To me that movement stood out because you had all different type of nationalities with their feet on the ground saying what we’ve been saying forever.
That’s what chairman Fred Hampton was doing with the rainbow coalition. That was his dream…that was his goal to unite to have the same mission.”
What makes the roles Smith portray empowering is due to his habit of learning Black history compared to when he was in school at a young age. Not everyone who has melanin knows the true history of Black America and Smith admitted he’s still learning. If it wasn’t for Smith’s amazing parents teaching him the vital wounds Black America has yet to heal from, deception from history books would still have its place.
“It’s sad to say but I can say I have learned more ever since I’ve taken on these films. I guess it’s not sad because that’s my education process but I just wish it wasn’t wiped out from me to begin with as I’m 25-26 years old. Now I’m learning about these things that I should’ve learned about when I was 10-years-old if that was presented to me the right way. As far as the second question, my parents did a really good job with just exposing me to leaders. Rather that be Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks…rather that be you know…I was doing some research on the guy Garrett Morgan. He’s the guy that invented the stop light.”
With issues at the forefront in America, it still didn’t seem real to Smith the Black Panthers were between the ages of 17-21. Young Black women and men who put their lives on the line organizing a plan to navigate under the realm of COINTELPRO at the expense of former Director of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover.
Without Smith who is more than an actor, where would America be without our truths and reality displayed on the big screen?
Since the release of the heavy and critical film “Judas And The Black Messiah”, Smith was offered the opportunity to be apart of Will Smith’s Amend: The Fight For America streaming on NETFLIX.
The docuseries is centered on the 14th Amendment where special guests appear addressing the systemic effects the 14th Amendment have on Black people. Smith was excited about the call and it’s safe to say someone huge appreciates his work.
“I don’t know how in the world they picked me,” Smith said while laughing. “I was just like listen and this is crazy because Will Smith is a hero of mine. Growing up and seeing the art and the work that he’s done in this industry as a Black man is just amazing. So just to get that call in general uh…it was something I was very extremely blessed and grateful for.”
Everything about Smith is authentic and he has aspirations to create opportunity for his hometown. When you’re humbled and blessed with a supportive family, faith will eclipse every obstacle and Smith is living testimony of his journey.
