Sherri Shepherd and Teyana Taylor talk motherhood, Black sisterhood, and the need for more compassion and empathy.
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00:00This is not your average bank robber. This is about giving her a chance.
00:16Lynette Nicholas with Essence. So my first question is, Nicole's the manager of the bank,
00:23you know, Detective Raymond, you have your position. You all are positions of influence.
00:30But you both strategically position yourself to get Janiyah out alive.
00:35Yes.
00:36What is it about the black female experience that lends itself to having more compassion for others?
00:41What was it about Janiyah? What did you recognize in her that made you shift your paradigm?
00:46Like, okay, there's something else happening here.
00:48I mean, a mother. You know, she was a mother.
00:52Nicole was a mother. Detective Raymond was a mother. I think that's what brought us together.
00:58I also think, you know, us being black women and understanding that we are the least protected.
01:03So I think it was one of them things where you had to have that empathy and that compassion to show up for another sister.
01:11It was all about sisterhood. And like I always say, you know, it was bigger than a badge for me.
01:16It was bigger than a gun. It was bigger than a bulletproof vest.
01:18I am a mother and a woman. Like detective is out the window and I'm seeing what's happening, you know.
01:27And I think that, you know, convincing everyone else to have patience with her was a big thing because it's a call I can make certain calls that she can make.
01:35I hate when we have the ability to we can make the shift. We can make the changes about what we choose to do with the information.
01:42And I think what Detective Raymond chose to do with the information really helped. Same thing with Nicole Parker.
01:48Yeah. Yeah. That was my next question. It's important.
01:51Oftentimes you see people who are in positions of authority. They have power, but then they forget.
01:56And I use all it's a theme of being in remembrance. You're strategically positioned, you know, to help other people.
02:02What do you do with that? Exactly. Can you speak to that?
02:05I think, you know, I look around and I see black women.
02:08What I loved about the script is the sisterhood.
02:11We came together that it really meant something that she did not lose her life.
02:15Yeah. You know, and we see that all the time. Yeah.
02:18We are nurturers. Yeah. Black women.
02:21And I think that we are stronger together. Yeah.
02:24And I love that when I saw two forces behind this woman who saw her and wanted her to win.
02:32And we did both what we could to make sure that happened.
02:36I love how Tiana's character, when I was reading the script, how she fought against the very people who were supposed to protect and serve.
02:43That's right. Even to probably her detriment. Yeah.
02:45And, you know, for me, it was just like I just wanted to come and make a difference, never thinking it would be in this way.
02:53But being able to make a difference in Janiah's life to where she was able to let go and we were able to connect as mothers.
03:01Yeah. Had had anyone else been in those positions and I was thinking about and I love the alternative ending.
03:06Had anyone else been in those positions, it would have turned out very differently.
03:12Very.
03:13Can you speak to the importance of there being people with cultural acuity, social, emotional intelligence being in positions of power?
03:21Because that was a theme, too, throughout. There were so many different personalities.
03:24You had the younger, you had the angry white cop.
03:26You had the younger white detective.
03:29But then you had the FBI detective who came in and his spirit was so prideful.
03:33Can you speak to the importance of people being in leadership positions with cultural acuity?
03:38You know, we always have to fight.
03:42Yeah.
03:43You know, we have to fight to have our voices heard.
03:46Just in this last election season, we had to fight was it 92 or 93 percent of us.
03:51We had to fight to prove ourselves, to prove our worth and still not be seen.
03:58Still to have a woman in power who it was the best of the best of the best and still not be seen.
04:07Yeah.
04:08And I think that, you know, in speaking to this movie, it's like, you know, she's fighting.
04:12She's fighting. She's fighting. And we both recognize that and she's still not seen.
04:17And that's why it's so important.
04:18That's where the urgency came in.
04:20Yeah.
04:21To help save her.
04:22I love that.
04:23There are so many Janias that are going to watch this film.
04:26There's so many Janias in every community.
04:28Do you have any words of, you know, encouragement for the Janias?
04:32Because so many people suffer in silence.
04:34And there's also a theme of having a village, but Janias does not have one.
04:37Because her mom and sister are crazy.
04:39Can you give any words of encouragement to young black women who may see this and be hurting?
04:44What would you say to them?
04:45You know, honestly, I would say it be able to receive.
04:50Because as you can see, Janias received from two strangers.
04:54Yeah.
04:55You get what I'm saying?
04:56Like that when we all happen to be mothers and black women, you get what I'm saying?
05:01And I think the power of receiving is so important.
05:04A lot of people don't know how to receive unless it's like a, well, unless my mother
05:07or my sister or my brother.
05:08You got to know how to receive because, you know, Nicole Parker is in the bank with her.
05:14Yeah.
05:15What if I didn't have the voice of reason to say, no, we need to boom, boom, boom.
05:20This is what we need to do.
05:21Yeah.
05:22How that could have ended, how it could have went.
05:25So this stranger, who is a mother first, was able to see, you know, herself and Janias
05:34and, you know, vice versa.
05:35So I think to the woman, it's like, it's okay to show up for one another, even if you
05:39don't know them that well.
05:40If a person is willing to show up for you, receive that.
05:42Yeah.
05:43And sometimes your village is not just your family.
05:45Yeah.
05:46Like my village truly are the friends that I have who are closer to me and my family.
05:50They're my sisters.
05:51Yeah.
05:52So you can create your village of a like-minded person.
05:56And like you said, be ready to receive.
05:58You give and receive, give and receive.
06:00That's what a friendship truly is.
06:02Absolutely.
06:03Absolutely.