Culture Impact: The New Edition Story

Mar 31, 2017
5 min read

Hola People! This post is in honor of the bio pic The New Edition Story which aired on BET January 24th, 25th, and 26th this year. First of all...it was EPIC! The selected cast was just incredible. This bio pic is now the standard of all Hollywood and Indie filmmakers. As we know there have been many bio pics that were not done well at all. What I want to discuss in this blog post is the impact that this series has had on American culture, of course with a highlight in the African American community. So on to each of the groups; the Originals, the Bigs and the Littles. So let's jump right in and start with the Originals.

Ralph, Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike and Johnny were a part of my childhood and along with some other phenomenal artists pretty much laid the soundtrack to my young life. Putting sweet melodies and rhythmic beats to many of the emotions that come along with growing pains. I remember kids performing N.E. songs for talent shows and they usually won. I remember running home from school on good and bad days and heading straight for ...yes - the cassette player (and I had auto-reverse too, man you couldn't tell me nothing...lol) and singing to the top of my lungs and creating or recreating the groups dance moves. In my mind, I was great! Right here is the spot where I want to be with the impact this bio pic has had on me.

While I was in my room singing and dancing to their songs, these young men were working and working hard. So many people think when they hear a singer or a group that this person was just discovered, but no, we just found out about them. More than likely they've been at it for quite some time. They had been working on their craft for three years before the rest of the world outside their hometown started to know about them. Let's consider where they came from: Orchard Park (O.P.) Projects in Boston. We know that no one expects nothing good to come out of the projects no matter what city. We know that the projects is a place where in other parts of society, people are sent to die, literally and figuratively. These kids were not supposed to have dreams and aspirations, let alone succeed; there was an unspoken expectation that they would die young or grow into unproductive members of society making babies and trouble, therefore dying in spirit.

The movie depicted how much drama they had to encounter in the music industry. We know from hearing about other artists' trials how cut-throat the entertainment business can be and apparently N.E. was no exception. I found it fascinating how they still remained connected even though they were not always communicating. It's was a major impact to see African-American men have such an incredible bond. From the love and guidance from Brooke Payne as a father figure to the bond that was created in both the young kids and young adults that made up the cast. In our community where there are many men but so few fathers, even though a number of those men provided seed creating the children, we needed to see this. It was real, it was and is our community today. What I loved most about this bio pic is that it showed hope for our young men when most, not all, that we see is so negative. We constantly see images of black boys and men who do nothing but waste their lives and take others lives. The media only shows what has become the result of misguided love and respect in our communities on repeat. This causes other races and our own to be afraid of us and those who look like us. For me the bio pic reminded us of just how wonderful each of us are and the potential that lives in us when even just one person takes the time to help us find our path and nudges us if we fall off. But I also want to acknowledge how the members of N.E. had the ambition to be their best, even if it was initially just to get the ladies...lol.

Everyone from the team that put the project together to those who were on screen brought their A-Game. This "Magic" is what made this project EPIC! From learning a bit about each of the actual group and the cast members we can see how determination, focus, faith, tenacious work ethics and having a strong support base makes for phenomenal results. So many of us give up because something takes too long to show the results we are looking for...I am soooo talking to myself right now. We miss out on great opportunities and settle for mediocre because we have not developed our "staying power". Notice I didn't say we don't have "staying power". I believe we all have this in us, but we get frustrated and give up too soon. Now I do realize that myself others are aware that if we stick with something eventually we'll get some results, but knowing and pushing past yourself to do and continue is another thing. This bio spoke to me in a way that my mindset, my heart, and my life were all connected and in the same place that I am determined to see my dreams and visions through. This is not a New Year's resolution or item on my wish list that will go to the wayside for yet another year. No! This is a movement in my soul that is determined to see the light of day and come into my reality. So yes, this bio pic - The New Edition Story, has resonated with me in a way that even I don't fully comprehend but that I am fully embracing. If you haven't seen it, please do. Even if you don't know who New Edition is take away from this movie that your current circumstances does not define your future. You can indeed make decisions and go after your dreams even if it looks like the odds are stacked against you and with determination, focus, faith, tenacious work ethics and having a strong support base we can have phenomenal results.

Need a little motivation daily while grinding to bring your dreams into reality? Come join us on our Getting IT Together - 365 Day Journey Podcast.

Original New Edition Members (The Originals):

Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Johnny Gill

Cast Members (The Bigs aka Young Adult version)

Algee Smith (Ralph Tresvant), Keith Powers (Ronnie DeVoe), Woody McClain (Bobby Brown), Bryshere Y. Gray (akaYazz the Greatest) (Michael Bivins), Elijah Kelley (Ricky Bell), Luke James (Johnny Gill)

Cast Members (The Littles aka Kid version)

Jahi Winston (Ralph Tresvant), Myles Truitt (Ronnie DeVoe), Tyler Williams (Bobby Brown), Dante Hoagland (Michael Bivins), Caleb McLaughlin (Ricky Bell)