SPOILER ALERT!!!
"Orange is the New Black" is simply one of the best Netflix series out there. Not only is it filled with complex issues and plot twists, but it is also extremely hilarious. If you do not watch the show, I highly recommend that you dedicate the rest of your summer towards catching up to the recent season. Every OITNB fan has their favorite ride-or-die character, just like every other show. In season 5, I realized my favoritism had wavered towards a new character. During Season 5, Episode 10, I found myself teary-eyed and laughing simultaneously at one character, Suzanne Warren, played by the phenomenal Uzo Aduba.
Suzanne herself is a very elaborate character. And the writers of the show have not excluded the importance nor awareness of mental health in this series. Suzanne is known for her child-like imagination and her knowledge of literature and poetry, but she also deals with hallucinations, aggressive outbursts, and emotional development to name a few. Yet the audience is still able to pick out the life-changing and impactful lines that her character is able to portray.
Specifically, in this episode, she points out the beauty of her own skin. In the last episode during the prison riot, two other female prisoners zip tied Suzanne to her bunk bed and powdered her face white and rosy like a clown.
When she was finally untied, went to the bathroom and saw herself in the mirror, at first she yelled at another prisoner: "Ghosts are not real! And clowns can not help it! They're just doing their job!" Then she started speaking to her reflection (like we all do when we are alone in the bathroom), but her words hit me in a way that made tears roll down my face without even me realizing it. She pointed out that her face was wrong. She was given a pale powdery complexion, one that she wanted while growing up since it came with privilege (and her foster parents were also white). After looking at her face in the mirror for a few more seconds, she furiously rinsed the powder off.
This scene didn't only demonstrate how she ignores the standards that society wants her to have, but it shows how she embraces what she DOES have. Although this scene is intertwined with funny or witty comments, it is filled with poetry, imaginative metaphors, and self-worth. The way that Suzanne (Uzo Aduba) looks at herself in the mirror after washing the powder off her face radiates tenderness but also has a side of mystery like she is trying to defend her blackness to herself, or reclaim it for her own.
Suzanne is my favorite character because at the end of the day, she reminds herself of where she came from and she doesn't let prison change who she is and who she will always be. Despite the challenges that her character faces, she is still able to draw beauty and humor from such a dark and lonesome place.
Below, I have written the scene that she plays with such passion, strength, and confidence. It has the power to not only resonate with people of color, but also with anyone who needs a little bit of encouragement in their life. (I also highly recommend just watching the episode even if you are not an OITNB fan).
Love the face God gave you Suzanne.
Black is beautiful.
From your hair to your derriere,
your nose to your toes.
You. Make. All. The. Colors. POP!
Wash your face or you'll get acne.
Don't pick the acne or you'll get scars!
Your skin is beautiful.
Like walnut wood...and soil.
And western coneflowers.
And...old metal.
And dark maple syrup in brown jars.
But wear a hat, or else your skin will get darker.
And always, always moisturize!
