Nicole Ari Parker Is Tackling Mental Health In ‘A Snowy Day in Oakland’

Director Kim Bass assembled an all-star cast for his latest romantic comedy A Snowy Day in Oakland.

With legendary stars including Lorretta Devine, Nicole Ari Parker, Keith David, Kimberly Elise, Deon Cole, Marla Gibbs and more, the film tackles the taboo subject of therapy and mental health in the black community.

In the film, Parker plays a beautiful psychologist from San Francisco who decides to end a stalled romance with her high-profile psychiatrist boyfriend and business partner. She moves on with her life by opening her practice in a predominantly Black neighborhood across the bay in Oakland.

HipHollywood caught up with Parker about defying the Black lady therapist trope onscreen and the importance of mental health awareness in the Black community.

“I said yes to this film because it was so right on time,” said Parker. “Introducing this idea of therapy and self-care. We have been so resilient as a people that we don’t consider ourselves fragile but there are still some things that need sorting out.”

A Snowy Day in Oakland is in theaters now.