Systemic Racism in Hollywood

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Systemic racism exists everywhere in America, including Hollywood. The entertainment industry has historically made it difficult for creators of color to enter and thrive.

50 Years After the Kerner Commission: Can Entertainment Inspire a New Will?

The Kerner Commission‘s goal was to reduce racial injustice and economic inequality after protests and rebellions erupted in over 150 American cities in the 1960s.

Our webinar on February 24, 2022 explored how much had and had not changed since the Kerner Commission was convened by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Award-winning journalist Jelani Cobb, producer Kenya Barris, TV writer Elle Johnson, Freeform president Tara Duncan, and film/TV producer and founder/CEO of The Black List Franklin Leonard were part of this lively discussion. Learn more about the webinar here.

In 1968, the Kerner Commission found that media played an important role in creating and deepening divides within the country. Over 50 years later the industry is lagging and audiences are pushing for more diversity.

USA Today

Diversity Pay

  • Movies with diverse casts performed best at the box office, while films with less than 11% actors of color did the worst – UCLA Report
  • Between 2017 and 2019, there was a 110% increase in audiences looking for diverse casts (40% nonwhite) ParrotAnalytics

People of color accounted for the majority of opening weekend domestic ticket sales for six of the top 10 films.

UCLA Report

McKinsey & Co. Report Highlights on the Racial Disparities in Hollywood

  • Leadership Deficit: 87% of TV executives and 92% of film executives are white. Less than 6% of the writers, directors, and producers of U.S.-produced films are Black.
  • Lack of Financial Backing: Films with Black crew and casts have smaller budgets despite earning higher returns.
  • Entry Disparity: Low wages or no pay for entry-level positions are more difficult for people who don’t come from wealthy or connected families and communities.
  • International Marketing Bias: Films with Black leads are distributed in 30% fewer international markets despite earning similar global box-office sales and more on a per-market basis as films with white leads.

Read the full McKinsey & Company report here

 In 2015, white agents and executive staff made up 90% of the top three talent agencies.

McKinsey & Company

Leaders Produce Opportunities

Minorities who are in leadership positions create opportunities for others.

  • Shows with at least one Black producer are:
    • 42% more likely to hire a Black director
    • 73% more likely to hire a Black writer
  • 78.3% of films directed by people of color featured minority leads

The Rae Way

Issa Rae opened the doors for many Black producers, writers and showrunners in the industry through her intentional mentoring practices on HBO’s Insecure. – Time Magazine

Four Things to Help Overcome Hollywood Barriers

  1. Lived experience matters – writers, producers and showrunners who have lived the experience create more authentic and compelling stories.
  2. Showrunners and studios can make an effort to hire from programs like Streetlights, Made in NYC, and NOVAC, which offer training and paid positions to entry-level production and camera assistants.
  3. Ava Duvernay is using ARRAYCrew to open doors for many creators of color, including Cierra Glaude, who worked as a production assistant on many of Duvernay’s projects before being offered the chance to direct. –LA Style
  4. Writers and content creators can reach out to HH&S to be connected with experts and people with lived experience to help inform their scripts and stories.

Resources