Being Black in Porn: a Documentary by DeAngelo Jackson
Actor. Producer. Activist. DeAngelo Jackson truly can do it all—and he does it all spectacularly. Jackson is one of the most prominent figures in the adult industry today, becoming the first Black man to win a GayVN for Best Actor in 2020 and Performer of the Year in 2021. Needless to say, DeAngelo knows all the ins, outs, ups, and downs of the porn industry, and he thinks it’s about time that everyone else knows, too.
Jackson is stepping behind the camera for the first time in his career, producing, directing, and narrating the brand-new documentary Being Black in Porn. The film highlights four gay men of color and their experiences in the adult film world. Through intimate conversations, the actors reveal the racism (being pigeonholed in servant or thug roles), stereotyping (expectations of Black actors to always have BBC and bottom), and inequity (being paid less than their fellow white actors) they’re subjected to in the industry that many other actors shy away from addressing.
Jackson’s premier documentary is slated to release in Fall 2021, and it’s one you don’t want to miss. I was lucky enough to get the chance to speak with DeAngelo and ask him a few questions about his career, his future, and Being Black in Porn (BBIP). Get to know this groundbreaking activist, and watch the trailer for his documentary below!
How did you first get started in the adult film industry?
I’ve been in the adult industry for 10-plus years now; I got my first part in 2008—I had just come from Germany, and I needed a part time job, and I thought it was easy money and really didn’t expect to get a callback, but I ended up getting one from a company called Flava Works. When I did my first scene … it was a bit traumatizing because I actually lost my virginity then. It was … a lot. And from there on, it just snowballed, and I found success in it, but when I first started off I was kind of pigeonholed—I was made to play the role of a thug or “BBC,” all the stereotypical roles that Black performers get cast in.
It wasn’t until just recently when I crossed over and joined a company called Noir Male that I found a new audience. And I was the first African American male to win best actor at the GayVN’s—that was pretty incredible, to stand up there and not just represent myself, but I thought I was representing my community as a whole, people of color, to stand up there and be recognized for that was incredible. And I wanted to use that to bring awareness to what men of color—gay men of color—go through within the industry. Something was just stirring up in me, even before the pandemic happened and Black Lives Matter really started up, so everything was just perfectly timed, the perfect time to bring this to the forefront.
Your documentary comes out this fall—how are you feeling? Nervous? Excited? A bit of both?
A little bit of both, you know, because there’s a little bit of pushback from the community—the Black community. We tried to reach a lot more models than we were able to get, but it really took some bravery for the performers we did interview to speak up. It can be a little scary. You can risk your career speaking out. You can be blacklisted. So I know it’s going to be controversial when it comes out, but you take the good with the bad, and I am excited for it to get out there for the masses to see. It’s something that my manager and I have been working on for so long.
What was it like for you stepping into a director role for the film?
It was … [chuckles] it was a little odd. I’ve never been the one to direct anything. But for me, what made it easier was just us having conversations. Men of color in the industry, we’ve had this conversation off camera so many times, outside of work, just amongst ourselves. So us just having that conversation made it easier, made it more natural for the models to really open up.
You created BBIP with your production company Noir Male—what was it like producing a documentary that calls attention to issues in the porn industry with a porn producer?
They were all for it. After the summer of 2020 with Black Lives Matter, they really wanted to bring this story to the forefront so we could make change. We have to have a conversation and a dialogue so we can make changes to all these companies that aren’t even hiring any men of color at all or just feeding into these stereotypes. I was pretty much fed up. I was wanting this story to get out there, and being in the game for so long, I didn’t really have any fear about potential blowback that would come my way because I’m established and have a lot of experience. And really, [BBIP] is good criticism: we’re not attacking anyone, but we have some things that really need to be changed, it’s long, long, long overdue. We should’ve had this conversation years ago, so now is the time.
You mentioned being fed up—what were you really tired of seeing and experiencing?
The titles of the movies that some of the companies come up with. “Black Cocks Matter” or playing on Black Panther, “BBC”… it wasn’t acceptable, and no one was really saying anything. And if you were to speak up, you would be labeled “difficult,” or you just wouldn’t get work anymore if you were the person to speak out against these horrible stereotypes. My frustration had been building for years and years about that, and I think, for me, it’s important now that I’m established to use my platform and my fanbase to let people know what’s going on. I can’t just be quiet any longer. There’s people looking at me, so let’s take that light and shine it on something important.
How were you able to find actors willing to have these conversations despite the risk of being blacklisted for speaking out?
Just being almost annoying. [laughs] I really tried to talk to these guys and say, “It’s gonna be OK; this is something that’s really important.” And unfortunately, we did have some guys that I think are important, heavyweights in the game, that just for one reason or the other, didn’t want to be a part of the project. I guess some of them felt like it was gonna hurt their brand—if they’re working for OnlyFans or whatever the case may be—that it was going to hurt their brands if they did speak up about it. So there was a struggle in finding guys who were courageous enough to speak their truth. That was really one of the only hurdles we encountered throughout the process.
As you’ve found your voice in the industry, do you see yourself continuing to do more activist projects in the future?
I would love to make a Part 2 [to BBIP]. I see myself right now as starting to wind down being in front of the camera and taking on more of an activist role. I want to speak more about the issues of transgender females, specifically Black, transgender females, of what they go through and how they are marginalized, their struggles, and bring that to the forefront. It’s something that’s a huge issue within the Black community. Already being within the LGBTQ community, you feel as though you have a certain section of people, the T in LGBT, that still feel like outsiders in their own community. So I would love in the near future to really bring a voice to that and make a Part 2 of Being Black In Porn and bring in more models to hear from.
What are some of the changes you’re hoping to see in the community following the release of BBIP?
I hope that we can criticize the industry. That we can have our voices out there and speak against things that concern us. I do hope that more models will feel comfortable after this comes out to speak up more when they show up on set and notice something that makes them uncomfortable.
Have you gotten any reactions from your community yet about the trailer and the documentary’s release?
The only thing we’ve gotten as far as pushback goes has been from OnlyFans. Some people think that we’re attacking OnlyFans and people making their own content—no, not at all. I think that these “fans” sites can coexist with studio porn—it goes hand-in-hand. I think it’s important to take back your power as far as making your own content. I’ve really only gotten negative feedback though from people in my own community.
Wow, that seems surprising—why do you think that is?
Fear. Fear and also, “Why is DeAngelo the one to speak about Black issues?” Some people within my community feel as though I really can’t speak to these issues because of the models I work with; they say I don’t work with enough Black models or I’m this or that. It’s just one of those things I’ve been dealing with all the time with my career taking off, unfortunately. Max Konnor is another one who just gets a lot of flack, but it’s OK. I think, overall, it’s going to be a lot more positive feedback coming in. I’m excited to see it. Of course I’m a little nervous, but we’ll see.
How would you sum up some of the major points the film is going to make?
What I really want people to understand, is the history of racism, and the totality of the porn industry. The things that have not been said but have always been an undercurrent of this racism—like these stereotypes, or expectations. I think now, more than ever, it’s important to hear our voices, our concerns, what we’re going through, and the stance that we can take to make change in the industry so that we’re all on the same equal playing field as performers. Ultimately, I just want people to hear the stories of their favorite performers and feel that gut punch so we can make change.
View this post on Instagram
Photos courtesy of DeAngelo Jackson and Noir Male.
What's Your Reaction?
