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Black artists call on Hollywood to prove Black Lives Matter

Black artists call on Hollywood to prove Black Lives Matter

More than 300 Black actors and filmmakers asked Hollywood to divest in the police and invest in anti-racist content
24 Jun, 2020

More than 300 Black actors and filmmakers, including Idris Elba, Queen Latifah and Billy Porter, on Tuesday asked Hollywood to divest in the police and invest in anti-racist content.

An open letter addressed to “Our Allies in Hollywood” attacked what it called the industry’s “legacy of white supremacy” and said Hollywood “encourages the epidemic of police violence and culture of anti-Blackness.”

The letter, organized by the group Hollywood 4 Black Lives, was written in the midst of a cultural and political reckoning in the United States about systemic racism and mass protests about the killing of Black people by police.

Specific demands included abolishing the employment of police officers on sets and putting pressure on Los Angeles city authorities to reduce budgets for policing.

It called on the movie and television industry to “end the intentional glorification of police brutality and corruption in our storytelling” and for studios to employ more Black people with executive, budget and green lighting powers.

Long-running police TV shows Live PD and Cops were canceled earlier this month. Multiple celebrities, including talk show hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, and 30 Rock creator Tina Fey have issued public apologies for wearing black face or depicting white characters made up as Black people.

“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,” Tuesday’s letter said.

According to a report on diversity in Hollywood published in February by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), people of color took 27.6% of lead roles in top films for 2019, almost triple the percentage in 2011.

Heads of movie studios were 91% white and 82% male, according to the UCLA report.

Signatories to Tuesday’s letter included campaign groups Black Lives Matter and Color of Change, as well as actors Viola Davis, Tiffany Haddish, Janelle Monae, Mahershala Ali, Laverne Cox, Cynthia Erivo and Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

Comments

Ahmad Jun 24, 2020 11:01am
Every human is equal. No one is superior, the superior are only those who practically are best in humanity services, kindness, ove and peace unbiased.
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jaredlee007 Jun 24, 2020 11:02am
So, even after all these years, Hollywood could not understand what its own programs/movies project. This (white) mindset is all about projecting one race as superior to all other races. Very sad that even in 2020 we are talking about addressing diversity when it is assumed that people are educated. This also means that educational institutions and religious institutions have also been unsuccessful in changing people's value systems, especially in a country that brags about being one of the most powerful in the world.
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Tariq Jun 24, 2020 12:03pm
I think recent movement should not exploit big events only merit and performance should rule. Neither color, cast or anything matters. Only merit . I hope this movement should nor spoil the merit and justice.
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Jjacky Jun 24, 2020 08:40pm
First u prove black lives matter .
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Nazir Gilani Jun 24, 2020 11:43pm
What does Hollywood have to do with this?
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Anonymouseee Jun 25, 2020 05:57am
ALL lives matter.
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