Those of us who have waited decades to find out if Nina Mosley and Darius Lovehall, the Black and sexy lead characters of the 1997 romantic comedy-turned-cult classic “Love Jones,” stayed together, finally get our wish this holiday season. Lead actors Nia Long and Larenz Tate — still Black and still sexy, we might add — reunited for a “Love Jones”-themed holiday commercial for Walmart, complete with the strains of Dionne Farris’ now-iconic groove “Hopeless” as its opening soundtrack.
In the Walmart Holiday x Love Jones spot, titled “Give the Gift That Shows You Get Them,” gifting starts early as Nina (Nia) finds a Walmart box sitting on the steps of her townhome and unwraps it to find a record player. Confirming that the present is, in fact, from him, Darius (Larenz) reprises one of his lines from the hit film where he asks, “Mind if I play a little something for you?”
Whether poet Darius (Larenz) is still trying to be “the blues in [Nina’s] left thigh… trying to become the funk in [her] right” remains unknown, but the nostalgia hits as the two begin dancing to the Isley Brothers classic, “Groove With You, Pt.1.” Not to let the moment pass undocumented, a young woman, presumably the fictional couple’s daughter, appears in the doorway to capture the moment on camera, clearly taking after her photographer mother, Nina. It’s a heartwarming return to a Black film classic that many of us would love to see revisited in this era of sequels.
That said, the elephant in the otherwise romantic room is Walmart. The big box retailer dampened many holiday spirits this year with its post-election announcement that it would be “rolling back” the majority of its DEI initiatives, a move largely interpreted as a harbinger of similar industry policies to come in an upcoming Trump administration. Among the initiatives now abandoned is a $100 million racial equity center launched in 2020 as a response to the police killing of George Floyd, as well as prioritization of 51% BIPOC, LGBTQ, veteran, and women-owned products, reported the Houston Herald.
“This after ending DEI programs, the marketing department sure [knows] how to change the narrative,” commented one viewer on YouTube. “This commercial won’t make me forget that Walmart cut all of its DEI efforts,” said another commenter.
Walmart clearly still sees the value in enticing Black consumers, as evidenced by its Gen X-friendly spot starring Tate and Long (notably, this spot was likely produced months prior to the election and resulting DEI rollbacks). The company is wise to do so, as our annual spending power is projected to eclipse $1 trillion by 2030, according to McKinsey & Co.
“Catering to Black consumers can help brands better serve all customers, particularly as the demographics of the country become more diverse,” said McKinsey’s Senior Partner and Global Leader, Reputation & Engagement, Shelley Stewart III.
To that end, as much as many viewers welcome the return of Darius and Nina (with some even calling for an official, albeit very belated sequel), the dichotomy between Walmart’s promotion and practice has not gone unnoticed.
“Walmart needs to rethink their DEI policies,” said a YouTube commenter. “Playing in our faces by using characters and actors we love!”
