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‘Not About Struggle’: Ava DuVernay’s ‘Cherish The Day’ Puts Intimate Black Love on Display, Says Star Xosha Roquemore

Posted byBy Daryl Nelson | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Ava DuVernay‘s new anthology series “Cherish The Day” premieres Tuesday, Feb. 11, on OWN.

The show follows the story of a Black couple, and each episode will represent one day of their union.

Xosha Roquemore (right) talked to Atlanta Black Star about the OWN series “Cherish The Day,” that also stars Alano Miller (left). (Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images)

It stars Xosha Roquemore as Gently James and Alano Miller as Evan Fisher. Cicely Tyson is also among the cast and plays Miss Luma Lee Langston, a woman who was a big star on the stage and screen many years ago.

Last month, Atlanta Black Star caught up with Roquemore at a launch event for “Cherish The Day” at The Stave Room in Atlanta, and she explained what the show is all about.

“It’s a love story,” said the actress. “I feel like there’s some elements of, like, love stories or just love in general that we all go through. Pain, elation, loss, confusion, self-analyzation, self-reflection … I be going through that stuff too. I’m human.”

“Cherish The Day” comes at a time when other films that showcase black relationships have been buzzed about. Lena Waithe‘s “Queen & Slim,” which stars Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith, which was released last summer, and “The Photograph,” starring Issae Rae and Lakeith Stanfield, set for release on Valentine’s Day, both generated critical acclaim.

Roquemore said that “Cherish The Day” is the kind of film that’s needed, because it shows that Black people, as well as their circumstances, are varied. It also shows that writers don’t always have to pull from a place of struggle to tell Black stories.

“This kind of narrative is humanizing Black folks even more and just getting deeper into the specificities of our humanity,” said Roquemore. “It’s not about struggle, it’s not about anything like that. It’s just about love and two people coming together and seeing what happens.”  

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