Fudge traces this pattern through the history of independent Black cinema, from Oscar Micheaux’s studios to stars like Dorothy Dandridge and Hattie McDaniel, and how Hollywood absorbed and exploited Black talent once it saw the profit potential, echoing what happened to Negro league baseball once Jackie Robinson crossed into the majors. He also reflects on how this same hunger for outside validation, whether through streaming platforms, awards, or institutional approval, still shapes who gets uplifted today and how often that success comes without cultivating opportunity for the community left behind.