Tony's Timeless Thursdays: Bessie — The Empress of the Blues and the Fight to Be Heard

For the 24th day of International Black Women’s History Month, I’m spotlighting a film that roars with creative fire and historical truth: Bessie (2015). This powerful HBO biopic, directed by Dee Rees and starring the incomparable Queen Latifah, tells the story of one of the most iconic voices in American music—Bessie Smith, the “Empress of the Blues.”

But this isn’t just a movie about music. Bessie is a story of survival, identity, Black womanhood, and the high cost of being fully, unapologetically yourself. It’s a declaration of creative freedom—and a reminder of just how much Black women have contributed to American art and soul.

The Woman Behind the Music

Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1894. Orphaned at a young age and raised in poverty, she began performing on street corners before joining traveling shows and vaudeville circuits. Her deep, thunderous voice, combined with raw, emotionally rich lyrics, made her a legend.

She recorded over 160 songs, toured throughout the segregated South, and at her peak in the 1920s, she was the highest-paid Black performer in America. But her story was never just about fame—it was about survival, defiance, and refusing to be silenced in a world that never made room for women like her.

The Film: Bessie (2015)

Directed by Dee Rees (Pariah, Mudbound) and written in part by Christopher Cleveland, Bessie premiered on HBO and quickly earned critical acclaim for its fearless performances and unflinching honesty.

The Cast:

• Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith — bold, battered, brilliant.

  
  

• Mo'Nique as Ma Rainey — a mentor and foil, representing the generation before.

  
  

• Michael Kenneth Williams as Jack Gee, Bessie’s abusive and controlling husband.

  
  

• Tika Sumpter as Lucille, one of Bessie’s longtime lovers.

  
  

• Khandi Alexander as Viola, Bessie’s sister and lifelong source of pain and tension.

  
  

• Charles S. Dutton as William "Pa" Rainey, Ma Rainey's husband and bandleader.

Why Bessie Matters

Bessie Smith’s life wasn’t easy, and the film doesn’t pretend it was. The beauty of Bessie lies in its willingness to explore both the genius and the chaos—the triumph and the trauma. Queen Latifah’s portrayal is fearless, emotionally layered, and physically transformative.

This film highlights several themes that resonate deeply with the ongoing celebration of International Black Women’s History Month:

🎤 1. Creative Independence

Bessie’s refusal to be shaped or silenced by white record executives, her own husband, or society at large is the backbone of her story. She didn’t just perform blues—she lived them, and insisted on doing it her way.

🌈 2. Bisexuality and Black Queer Identity

The film candidly explores Bessie’s romantic and sexual relationships with both men and women. At a time when queer Black women are still fighting for vis

ibility, Bessie honors a woman who lived openly and defiantly.

🧱 3. Racial Barriers and Jim Crow America

Touring across the South meant navigating violence, segregation, and humiliation—but also building Black cultural spaces, theaters, juke joints, and safe havens where art could thrive.

🤝 4. Sisterhood and Mentorship

Ma Rainey, played with power and wisdom by Mo'Nique, represents the idea that Black women carry each other. The bond between these two women is complicated and transformative.

💔 5. Pain, Power, and Performance

Bessie poured her heartbreak, rage, and joy into every note. Like many Black women, she used performance as both shield and sword. Her voice wasn’t just a gift—it was her resistance.

Accolades and Cultural Impact

• 4 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie

  
  

• 12 Emmy nominations, including:

  • Outstanding Lead Actress (Queen Latifah)

  • Outstanding Supporting Actress (Mo'Nique)

  
  

• Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Queen Latifah

  
  

• Critics praised the direction, production design, and bold performances

These awards are more than industry recognition—they’re affirmations of the importance of telling Black women’s stories with depth and dignity.

Why It Matters for International Black Women’s History Month

Bessie Smith’s life and legacy remind us that Black women have always been architects of American music and culture, often without acknowledgment or protection. Her boldness, sexuality, rage, and talent weren’t liabilities—they were her truth.

This month is about honoring women like Bessie who created spaces—onstage, in the studio, in their own bodies—for other Black women to dream louder, sing deeper, and stand taller.

Psalm 40:3 (KJV) “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”

Bessie’s song was defiant, raw, joyful, painful, and real. And it still rings out.

Final Reflections

If you haven’t seen Bessie, now’s the time. It’s more than a biopic—it’s a blues sermon, a celebration of Black womanhood in all its wild, unfiltered glory.

And if Bessie’s story stirred something in you—if her courage and artistry echo your own—then you’ll find more to love in my novel series, S.O.L.A.D.™: Soldiers of Light Against Darkness™, where powerful characters fight to claim their identity and walk in their calling.

🎷 Order your autographed copy today at www.tyronetonyreedjr.com/the-shop and keep celebrating the voices of Black women who refused to be forgotten.