It wasn’t all jokes on the Verizon stage during the Q&A with Mike Epps hosted by Will Packer.
The duo had a powerful message for the sea of Black folks at ESSENCE Fest.
Film producer (Think Like A Man, Ride Along, Stomp the Yard) was surprisingly funny too with just as much energy as the Bessie actor. Judging from their palpable energy you wouldn’t know the pair’s first collaboration is the upcoming ABC comedy series, “Uncle Buck.”
Taking a minute away from the jokes, Epps was dying to let the ESSENCE Fest crowd know that being Black is amazing.
“I love my Black people! I love y’all,” he says to a room of applause.
Packer asked Epps what it was like being Black in Hollywood right now as shows like Empire and black-ish flourish on network TV.
“Being Black in Hollywood is beautiful. This is one of the best times in the world to be Black in Hollywood,” the actor said optimistically.
“Black people, we are the best. We so good we’re hard on each other…Everybody want to be us. They don’t want our problems, but they want to be us,” he says. “There’s some things money can’t buy — and that’s being Black and beautiful.”
Packer urged the audience to make sure to support Black projects because Hollywood is finally paying attention.
“Hollywood is paying attention,” Packer said. “You guys have power you don’t realize. You guys watch and support. When you support Hollywood pays attention. When one show wins, they all win.”