Nate Parker opens about rape case in new interview

Nate Parker addressed the problem of male privilege and the rape allegations against him-and his troublesome initial response-in an interview with Ebony magazine posted on Saturday.

In 1999, Parker and his then-college roommate Jean Celestin-who shares a story credit on the film-were charged with raping a woman in Parker’s dorm room.

Parker was acquitted in 2001 but Celestin was sentenced to six months in prison for sexual assault before the conviction was overturned on appeal because the alleged victim refused to testify again. “I’m walking around daring someone to say something or do something that I define is racist or holding us back, but never really thinking about male culture and the destructive effect it’s having on our community”. I’m not ideal, I’m a flawed man, but I’m willing to try to get better, I’m willing to listen. “Many of us viewed this incident involving Mr. Celestin and Mr. Parker as yet another example of blatant racism and violent hostility faced by black students on Penn State’s campus”.

The story has taken on a second life with the recent revelation that Jane Doe killed herself in 2012, at age 30.

Parker told Ebony that he had read Gay’s article as part of his ongoing process.

Nate Parker: You mean like where I am right now? And trying to grow. I was acting as if I was the victim because I felt like, my only thought was I’m innocent and everyone needs to know.

Throughout the lengthy interview, Nate talks about his views on being called a rapist, his idea of consent, and more. If I’m really down…if I’m really serious about changing my attitude, if I’m really serious that those comments are wrong, then what do I need to be feeling? Parker compared his ignorance on issues of consent with white privilege, saying “I recognize as a man there’s a lot of things that I don’t have to think about”. And what I realized is that I never took a moment to think about the woman.

“I cannot- nor do I want to ignore the pain she endured during and following our trial”. All of this said, I also know there are wounds that neither time nor words can heal.

“I know just by the conversation that has gone on at Sundance that it’s clearly a movie that filmgoers should go and see”, Boone Isaacs told TMZ, while also admitting that she’s yet to see it. I get it. The reality is, I can’t relive 17 years ago. All I can do is seek the information that’ll make me stronger, that’ll help me overcome my toxic masculinity, my male privilege, because that’s something you never think about. You don’t think about other people.

While I maintain my innocence that the encounter was unambiguously consensual, there are things more important than the law.

While they did acknowledge and expressed remorse over the woman’s death, they cite a history of depression and use of anti-depressant medication.