Written by Cayla Raymond
Judy Bloom’s book Forever has recently been turned into a Netflix Original Series that was both aired and renewed all in the month of May – and we have Mara Brock Akil to thank for portraying the delicacies and complexities of black love.
Forever follows two high school athletes, Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr., On the Come Up) and Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone, Greenleaf) who meet at a high school party and eventually fall in love. The series covers overarching themes of first loves, first times, and awkward romances.
Both creeping towards the end of their high school careers, the two find themselves slowly falling in love despite Keisha actively avoiding her past ex, Christian (Xavier Mills). He released an intimate video of them that was shared throughout her school — causing her to transfer mid-year. She struggles to work through her issues in order to completely commit to Justin, despite the real feelings she has for him.
Within their relationship, we are also able to see glimpses of each character’s battle with self identity and self love. It’s no secret that Justin’s Character isn’t the typical “black male lead,” and he is written to be very awkward and non-traditional. While it is not confirmed, there are signs that he struggles with ADHD in the series. While he struggles to fit in socially, Akil’s choice to have a black lead that embraces these differences sheds light on kids who are similar to him.
Akil also sheds light on the struggles that Justin faces as a black man from Hollywood Hills, where normalcy is living in a predominantly white area with predominantly white schools. The book itself is set in the ‘70s, but adding modernity to this series allowed more wiggle room for motivation and story lining.
The show is set in 2018 in Los Angeles, which is during the time period where the Black Lives Matter movement was at a high peak. Struggling to come to terms with his true identity eventually bleeds into his college decision process. Justin finds himself questioning if he should surround himself with people who look like him, or fulfill yet another one of his mom’s white bright dreams of attending, yet another, predominantly white institution.
We also see moments throughout the series where Justin becomes dependent on Keisha and the relationship. Like many teenagers who fall in love, we see him using their relationship as an escape to avoid realizing that he has no idea what he wants to do with his life. It eventually causes Keisha to pull away, realizing that their relationship can’t be all he has going for him in life.
Polar opposite to Justin’s struggles, Keisha comes from a world surrounded by struggles where nothing is handed to her. She resides in a low income neighborhood, where her mom works overtime to afford the private school she goes to. She is constantly immersed in a world surrounded by her culture — especially with her dream of going to Howard University on a full ride track scholarship.
Despite not struggling with a cultural identity, Keisha is constantly faced with self love conflictions — wondering if she’s good enough for Justin, struggling with the weight of having her tape leaked, etc. Honestly, these internal issues have allowed audiences to believe Keisha is unlikeable, but as the series progresses, it is understood that these thoughts and decisions stem from two young black kids falling in love for the first time.
Nonetheless, the viewers are taken along the ride of young black teenagers who experience true love for their first time. Despite sharing such intimate moments with her ex-boyfriend in the past, it is revealed that Keisha has yet to experience her “firsts.” The nostalgic time period allows the characters to explore each other sexually and intimately — despite the nervousness surrounding the feelings and relationship. Through these shared experiences, both characters are able to navigate what is healthiest for their sanity and for the relationship as a whole.
The series also does a good job portraying healthy black parental love — despite the diverse opinions about Justin’s moms parenting. Not saying it’s unlikely, but it is often rare that we see black kids in tv shows/movies who come from two parent households. In Forever, we see Justin’s parents portray a healthy marriage and relationship.
His father, Eric (Wood Harris, The Wire) is actively present in Justin’s life, especially emotionally. His character is created as a safe space for Justin where he goes to for advice. Although his mom was written as heavily overprotective and impossible to deal with, the time period very well justifies her actions when he comes to dealing with a young black man in America.
Even though Keisha comes from a totally different family dynamic, we are able to witness a single black mother successfully put her daughter through school. At the end of the series, Keisha is able to attend her dream college on a full ride — despite her tape scandal. While I didn’t necessarily agree with how her mom handled the news about the tape, she eventually came around to understanding what her daughter needed most in the situation.
While many watchers can relate to the complications showcased within young black love, it was refreshing to have access to a healthy marriage, and future, portrayed by two black adults. Akil’s modern take on this story allowed for more in depth talks on the complexities of black love – surrounding awkward romances, sex, politics, etc. There was comfort found in the ending of the series, and knowing that although their paths didn’t align in the current moment, mutual love was still very much present. Overall, it was the perfect platform to mainstream young black love, with characters who are both conventional and unconventional.
