Reality TV generally receives a bad wrap for exploiting black culture and objectifying women; especially women of color. But Asha Boston, creator of The Dinner Table Doc, saw a bit of a silver lining in the culture that is reality television and, in turn, produced and directed  a documentary that subconsciously explores the addictive qualities of reality television while pushing for positivity.
“The film shows that young women of color can be more than ‘baby mamas’ and ‘bottle throwers’ that tear each other down mentally and physically each time they meet to break bread. The film starts at the dinner table and the conversation there serves as a narrative while short monologues (to mimic confessionals) are shown along with real footage of young black millennial women sharing their stories of success, mentor relationships, and inspiration.”
BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Boston to talk about her motivational documentary, the women she chose to participate and why, and what she hopes women are taking away from her project.
BlackEnterprise.com: Exactly what is the Dinner Table Doc?
Boston: The Dinner Table Doc evolved from a Essence magazine prompt for a film contest, to an initiative intended to educate and change how communities view the minority women they are exposed to in media. It also introduces emerging women in the industry who are breaking away from the stereotypes that keep them in a box.
What was your big ‘ah-ha’ moment in creating this project?
I created the series in undergrad and, due to my location, I wasn’t able to film each participant myself. Since I was in Atlanta and most of the young women were located in New York (and one in London) I decided to have them record the footage themselves and send it to me. Upon receiving the footage, I knew we struck gold when I began editing the film and it felt like they were
having a conversation. It was amazing to see eight different young women who have never met in person agree and exchange similar ideas. They all agreed that young black women could achieve their dreams despite the perception of what people think they can and cannot do.(Continued on next page)
Tell me about the women in the doc and why you chose them?
The project is very personal to me, so while selecting the cast I chose to highlight a group of young women that I truly admire. What makes their stories unique is not only their career choices (like a Korean pop singer or a future HGTV star) but their ability to be completely transparent about their journey. If you follow any of the young women on social media you can scroll through their Twitter/Instagram timelines and track the story of their success. You see them start and complete projects, jump over hurdles, and
find things that inspire them. It’s amazing, electric, and absolutely mesmerizing. Their action attitudes are so contagious! It makes you want to get up and be great. I feel blessed to call each and every one of them not just a cast mate, but a friend.What were you hoping to accomplish with this project?
I’m hoping to help spread more diverse stories of women of color in media. I think that in the past few years we’ve been funneled down to one narrow narrative (by way of reality tv) and I want people to know that there’s more. Although this is some of our stories, this isn’t all of them.We are so much more than what you see and I hope that for our audience, it’s not only a learning lesson, but an inspiration. I want to use the documentary as a tool to inspire conversations about living at your fullest potential, media narratives, and
mentorship. I also hope that in combination with our dinner party events, we will become a resource for young women that don’t have a chance to explore diverse career options or live out their dreams because of their location.What do you want women to take away?
I want women to know that whatever they want to do, they can do it. Whatever dreams they have, they can achieve it. Nothing is impossible. It’s a matter of candidly telling people what you want to do and finding ways to make it happen. Resources are right in front of you and all you have to do sometimes is start the conversation. Make the jump, take the leap, sit at the dinner table and learn from one another. Don’t allow someone else’s perception of who you are stop you from being all that you can be.
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For more info check out www.thedinnertabledoc.com.