Television shows like Empire, Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat, along with films such as 12 Years a Slave and Selma, have demonstrated that productions featuring people of color in lead roles can be both popular and profitable. Indeed, these and other hits have some observers declaring a new era of diversity in Hollywood. But a new study, “2015 Hollywood Diversity Report: Flipping the Script,” shows that decision making in the entertainment industry continues to be dominated by white men — and the result is often a skewed vision of America. In the clip below, Dr. Darnell Hunt, the director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at…
Television shows like Empire, Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat, along with films such as 12 Years a Slave and Selma, have demonstrated that productions featuring people of color in lead roles can be both popular and profitable. Indeed, these and other hits have some observers declaring a new era of diversity in Hollywood. But a new study, “2015 Hollywood Diversity Report: Flipping the Script,” shows that decision making in the entertainment industry continues to be dominated by white men — and the result is often a skewed vision of America.
In the clip below, Dr. Darnell Hunt, the director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, which produced the report, explains why more people of color are needed in Hollywood’s executive suites.
For more of our conversation, be sure to tune in to Tavis Smiley on PBS. Check our website for your local TV listings: pbs.org/tavis.
More:
Tavis Smiley: My Conversation With Dr. Darnell Hunt on Diversity in Hollywood
