Written by Nicole J.

Three black women made James Bond related news this month, one for rejecting a role in the decades-long James Bond franchise, another for accepting one, and another still for disagreeing with the former’s acceptance of said role.

Legendary artist and style icon Grace Jones quit the latest installation of the James Bond film franchise, currently titled Bond 25, just minutes after arriving on set. According to this article, spear headers of the film rolled out the red carpet in anticipation of her arrival, and when she saw the pittance of lines, she was out.

Conversely, Lashana Lynch accepted the role to be the next 007, and the Internet was ablaze with hate and insults for her, many coming from black women. What lessons can we learn here?

• Know your worth.

  Grace knows she’s a legend and those who don’t will have to lose out because she’s not suffering fools gladly! All too often we will hear a story about a woman who let the best years of her life pass her by, all because she compromised on her standards way too much, and didn’t know her worth. Knowing the value you add to any venture will help you stand firm in your decisions in many areas of life.

• Time is your most valuable resource; don’t let anybody waste it.

  Grace knew what was up as soon as she got on set. Whether it’s a job that doesn’t acknowledge the great work you do, or a romantic partner hemming and hawing when the question of marriage comes up, know when it’s time to cut your losses, even if the time spent so far feels like a waste.

• You are your own best advocate.

  From the quickness Grace left the set, she didn’t need to consult anyone when she made her decision. Obviously there will be occasions where an expert, external opinion is needed, but having faith in yourself and your ability to make a tough call can go a long way.

• Build a legacy worth maintaining.

  Do you think Grace Jones’ legacy is impacted by her decision to skip this role? No way. Her legendary status remains in tact, and her actions lets future producers know what standards she upholds for herself.

• Know what hill you want to die on.

  The flip side of Grace’s decision to skip the cameo is that she may not be approached again if the opportunity presented itself. When making big decisions, whether it’s a relationship, a job opportunity, or radical lifestyle changes (for example: losing weight with the help of surgery, a hot button topic in certain circles), you may end up ostracizing those who don’t agree with your stance. Bear that in mind when making tough decisions.

• The anti black woman sentiment is coming from inside the house.

This point is specifically about the ire surrounding Lashana’s casting. Kendall and Sunshine already elaborated on this topic more than I ever could, but their videos are gone now, so I’m sorry if you missed it. It would be one thing if the movie was out, and Lashana was portrayed as this big butch broad kicking ass and taking names, but all we know is that she will be taking over the 007 designation, not that she’ll be Jamesetta Bond.

There have been a few commentators saying that this role will no doubt further the masculinization agenda of dark-skinned black women, which is a possibility, but since the movie isn’t out yet, we’ll just have to wait and see. Additionally, there have been comments saying describing Lashana in patently untrue ways like “beastly” and “mannish”, coming from fellow black women. How another woman can look at Lashana and describe her that way is beyond me.

Trina Parks, the first black Bond girl, doesn’t like the idea of Lashana being the next 007, either, having said ‘Lashana is a great actress, but I don’t really agree with her becoming 007. It is not about her color, but just because Bond, the spy code-named 007, was written by Ian Fleming as a man.’

All we have to go on so far is a 30-second trailer so we don’t know what Lashana will be doing. I personally hope Lashana kicks all sorts of acting ass and shows the world that black female spies can be sexy, dangerous and feminine at the same time.

What say you? Sound off in the comments below.