This Netflix original proved interesting to dissect. While I do not agree with the premise upon which this movie is based, I ultimately do like the array of black characters showcased in the film and the overarching idea that race should not box you in to one particular identity. After experiencing hesitation during its promotional period, I gave it a chance because I knew that living legends like Lena Waithe and Ben Cory Jones (of HBO’s Insecure) were producers.

Step Sisters certainly skips a beat on originality taking a nod from Bring It On, but eighteen years later the conversation is more relevant than ever. I did find this movie entertaining. While it is not the smartest, the writing is funny, most of the acting is well executed, and the step routines are riveting.

That said, this film is not a black narrative – it is a commentary on the pitfalls of both black and white cultures. For the sake of keeping in line with this blog’s mission I am only going to explore the development of the black characters.

At the center of this story is Jamilah Bishop, a star student who hails from a highly regarded family of Harvard graduates. She is the president of the Westcott University chapter of Theta Chi Phi, a prestigious and historically black sorority that preaches, “Perfection over excellence, sister over self.” Jamilah takes the brand of the organization very seriously and inextricably ties it to her own social identity.

Jamilah also works in the Student Affairs office as a liaison. Following a university scandal, the Dean pressures her to clean up the sullied image of majority-white sorority, Sigma Beta Beta (SBB) - i.e. teach SBB how to step - in exchange for his Harvard alumnus endorsement.  Jamilah is between a rock and a hard place feeling that, “[her] black card would get revoked,” but also needing a way to secure her place at Harvard Law per her parents’ wishes.

In spite of her unwieldy attempts to epitomize black excellence, Jamilah’s boyfriend is white. Matt McGorry (of How to Get Away With Murder) is hilarious in the role of Dane, a white, liberal African American Studies and Political Science major who disdains all things categorically ‘white.’ He condemns Jamilah for teaching a white sorority to step, insisting that she should honor her ancestors’ struggle. To be perfectly honest I am not sure I’d find Dane as funny and non-offensive if another actor played the part. 

At the end of the day we learn that Jamilah is in the depths of a long drawn-out identity crisis; she is overcompensating for her suburban upbringing and the singular expectations of her parents. She loves comic books and The Walking Dead yet shrouds her true self under a proposed ideal of blackness to avoid being called a white girl. Actress Megalyn Echikunwoke states that she could absolutely relate to the racial identity issues that Jamilah expresses, as she is biracial.

Aisha is a proud and prominent member of Theta Chi Phi. She vehemently resists the notion that Sigma Beta Beta should step and often pokes fun at the white girls in light of her annoyance with their stereotypical personas. She contends, “If they want to sample the black experience, let them be slaves and step in chains. And we’ll knock 100 points off their credit score.”

Aisha has no problem making Jamilah aware of her soror’s self-serving and at times unsympathetic actions. 

We learn that Aisha is simply striving to uphold her sorority’s legacy, and when necessary will do what is right and noble. Aisha was interpreted by the talented Naturi Naughton and is my second favorite character because of her integrity.

Kevin is a quirky, happy-go-lucky guy who meets Jamilah at the SBB sorority house. We learn that he was adopted by white parents and has such varied interests as Arabic studies, ski resorts, and playing keyboard in a band. Kevin encourages Jamilah to embrace her inner zombie-loving nerd. He helps her to realize that she should not live in a shadow of what her parents, sorors, etc. expect of her, particularly as a black woman. When Jamilah tells Kevin that, “Harvard is what [her] parents want,” he responds, “Well, what do you want?”

Kevin is my favorite character because he is unapologetically self-defined; he is a genuine person with a big heart. His character is also a great example of the wider, more nuanced and vulnerable personalities being afforded to black men in modern television and film.

Saundra is a member of the majority-white sorority, SBB. She is comfortable with being the only black girl in a room and confidently embraces herself as is. Further, she does not count on the construct of race to dictate with whom she should prefer to associate. When Jamilah is introduced to Saundra, she calls her sis; Saundra retorts, “We’re not related.”

Jamilah repeatedly attempts to interact with her on a ‘we’re-black-together’ level, which does not sit well with her. Saundra later reveals that certain black organizations shunned her because she was too “whitewashed.” Her character is special in that she does not explicitly express self-hate as a black person. It’s not necessarily that she aspires to be white; that’s simply the culture with which she shares common interests and does not feel pressured to be someone she is not. And she is right in stating that no one, black or white, is justified in prescribing how she should want to live her life.

Yvonne, Jamilah’s mother, is a Harvard Law graduate and distinguished Pennsylvania judge who holds an inexplicable gripe with Michelle Obama. She is very hard on Jamilah and expects her daughter to be the best, just as she is. Unsurprisingly, Yvonne is indignant when she catches wind of Jamilah’s involvement in SBB’s stepping. She questions her daughter’s loyalty by asking, “Have you betrayed all of your black Greek brothers and sisters?” It eventually becomes clear that Yvonne is jealous of Jamilah’s ability to forge her own unconventional personality.

Steps Sisters writer Chuck Hayward noted that stumbling upon stories about black Greeks teaching white Greeks how to step was a catalyst for the movie’s creation.

“I saw a lot of examples of black fraternities and sororities teaching white organizations to stroll to step and it was seen as like a cultural exchange. It was seen as something that brought together two groups that never really have any interaction with each other and I think that’s, especially these days is something that we need a little bit more of because it sort of highlights that we have as many similarities as we do differences.”

To that sentiment I counter, how can it be an exchange when it’s one-sided? What are the white Greeks teaching the black Greeks? My issue with this mentality and the points made in the movie is that while black Greeks use the letters and organizational structure that the white organizations used, that knowledge was not handed down to them. The white founders did not teach the black pioneers how to organize themselves, run their chapters, practice team building and foster a sense of community. So why are black people are doing all of the work to bridge the Greek-letter organization collective? Why not designate a tradition or custom that the white organizations teach the black organizations?

I was also disappointed that so much character development was given to the white sorority members and not the black sorority members. After Megalyn Echikunwoke (Jamilah) the actors listed as co-stars play two of the SBB characters. 

The cinematography was not particularly awe-inspiring. The cameras caught the magical spectacle of stepping from various angles with crisp video quality. The extreme close ups of black boots adorned by black sororities and fraternities evoked power and pride. Close ups of Jamilah’s office cubicle were used to show the duality of her identity; there was a clear juxtaposition between zombie pictures and sorority paraphernalia and African symbol art. As far as the obligatory modern touches go, white sorority members were introduced using onscreen hashtags that further described their personalities. Texts, social networks, and Snapchat filters also abound.

Again, this movie is not a black narrative but a commentary on race in America. It is a lighthearted movie riddled with stereotype spotlights for both black and white people and it’s good for a few laughs. It is cute and features witty writing, but it is certainly not one that I would add to the cultural zeitgeist.