Leslie Odom Jr. | Family Issue 2019

SOME PEOPLE YEARN FOR SECURITY.
It’s a simple yet complex need that is essential to the way
one navigates through the world. Security alleviates the
anxieties that come with fear. It creates a force field that
is meant to protect one’s well-being. Although, protection
is a fundamental right not often shared or offered to
specific groups of people due to systems of oppression
and the lack of knowledge. In the Dui Jarrod-produced
web series, King Ester, we are introduced to characters
who are fighting for a sense of belonging. They are
learning to accept their personal truths while living in a
community that ostracizes them.
The series is centered around leading lady Ester, who is
trans. She is a self-aware woman with dreams of leaving
her mark on the world and is undoubtedly a force to be
LIKE MANY OF US, ESTER
FACES OBSTACLES THAT
ARE HOLDING HER BACK
FROM ACHIEVING HER FULL
POTENTIAL. AS CLICHÉ AS
IT SOUNDS, THINGS LIKE
LOVE, SUPPORT AND CON-
FORMITY ARE DESIRED BUT
THE LACK THEREOF COULD
CREATE AN EXHAUSTING
SEARCH FOR FULFILLMENT.
reckoned with.
As confident
and brass as she
may be, the realization
that the
world doesn’t revolve
around her
seems minute
and is not of her
concern. “I crafted
Ester with
the notion of her
being fully aware
of who she is as a
person, and the
world around
her needed to
make a shift towards
change.
I strategically
placed this character
in a family specifically with a brother who should
have the most reasons to love her, but doesn’t understand
the concept of being trans and is slow to accept who she
is. As a writer, this was extremely difficult to come up with
but I felt the importance of sharing the dynamics between
the two,” said Jarrod.
it sounds, things like love, support and conformity are
desired but the lack thereof could create an exhausting
search for fulfillment. LJ Scott, who plays Damien, becomes
Ester’s confidant and safety net as she tries to escape
being objectified for survival. According to Scott,
“My character Damien is Ester’s safe place. Everything
Ester ever wanted or had expectations for Damion has.
However, he himself is dealing with the acceptance of his
own sexuality, which is something that Ester has already
accomplished and what Damien admires about her.”
A home is deemed one’s secure space, a place that should
be free of judgment. Whether it’s a mother, brother, or
friend, our hope is to have a home that serves as a safe
space to express our full selves without being looked
down upon. As King, Ester’s brother played by Martin
Bradford, witnesses her transformation firsthand, he is
slow to accept, confused and not sure how to support
her due to the provincial mindsets of outside influences
and personal beliefs. But he innately knows that he
has a responsibility to protect his sister. “I play King, and
he represents that black man who is trying but may not
have the proper education or the words to interact with
someone who is considered trans. Our society wasn’t designed
for us to enter into those types of conversations
smoothly. As we have evolved, so should the lessons surrounding
gender and sex, which is why this project is so
important. King has done damage but he’s trying to heal
and grow from his mistakes,” said Bradford.
The King Ester series is a coming of age story that speaks
to the realities of today. It’s relatable and forces the audience
to look at the importance of identity through familiar
lenses. The show can now be viewed on Youtube
as a part of the Issa Rae Presents channel. We owe it to
ourselves to ignite the conversations of how we can protect
all women. “Many of us take our human rights for
granted. People within the LGBTQ community aren’t
receiving their allowed human rights by default. Everyone
wants to be accepted; none of us should hold dominion
over someone’s pure existence and humanity. It
should be so easy, but for whatever reason people make
it so hard,” Bradford explains.
Like many of us, Ester faces obstacles that are holding
her back from achieving her full potential. As cliché as
FAMILY 2019 / 19