Published 18:45 IST, June 24th 2020
Viola Davis and 300 black artists write an open letter to Hollywood demanding a change
Viola Davis, Michael B Jordan, and over 300 Black artists have come forward and written a letter to Hollywood demanding a systematic change. Read on.
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Over 300 Black artists and executives have come forward and signed an open letter to demand a systematic change in Hollywood with regards to racism and discrimination. This event has taken place in the light of the Black Lives Matter protest. Read on to know more details about the whole story:
Black artists call for a change in Hollywood
Actor and activist Kendrick Sampson, who is known for The Flash, Insecure, and How to Get Away With Murder, will be the spearhead of this demonstration. The letter these Black celebrities have signed is headlined as “Hollywood 4 Black Lives”. Viola Davis, Janelle Monáe, Michael B. Jordan, and many more have answered Sampson’s call for action, under his BLD PWR initiative, to prove that “Black Lives Matter to Hollywood”.
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The letter to Hollywood:
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Hollywood has privilege as a creative industry to imagine and create. We have significant influence over culture and politics. We have the ability to use our influence to imagine and create a better world. Yet, historically and currently, Hollywood encourages the epidemic of police violence and the culture of anti-Blackness.
The lack of a true commitment to inclusion and institutional support has only reinforced Hollywood's legacy of white supremacy. This is not only in storytelling. It is cultural and systemic in Hollywood," it continues. "Our agencies, which often serve as industry gatekeepers, don't recruit, retain or support Black agents. Our unions don't consider or defend our specific, intersectional struggles. Unions are even worse for our below-the-line crew, especially for Black women. Hollywood studios and production companies that exploit and profit from our stories rarely have any senior-level Black executives with greenlighting power.
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We know these changes have the power to change Black lives in America. It is time for Hollywood to acknowledge its role and take on the responsibility of repairing the damage and being a proactive part of the change.
The letter has five demands that state that there should be no police on the sets or events. It also states that there should be no anti-black content. It states that Hollywood should invest in anti-racist content. It further states that Hollywood should invest in Black people’s careers by giving them more power, financially, and support and invest in Black-owned businesses.
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18:45 IST, June 24th 2020