More than 300 Black artists sign open letter calling for change in Hollywood

Black actors, directors and executives in Hollywood are coming together to help ensure their demands for change are heard. On June 23, a group of more than 300 Hollywood creatives shared an open letter appealing to Hollywood to improve its approach to hiring, storytelling, community engagement and more.Calling themselves Hollywood 4 Black Lives, the group signed an open letter that included important and necessary changes Hollywood must make in order to create an industry that is more inclusive and tells stories that celebrate Black lives. Lead by Insecure and The Flash actor Kendrick Sampson, the letter calls for systemic changes at every level.[video_embed id='1973107']RELATED: Michael B. Jordan wants Hollywood to 'commit to Black hiring[/video_embed]“Every time a Black executive or assistant is passed over for a promotion, or the marketing or production budget for another Black led film is limited, or when Black agents aren’t supported, Black writers are shut out, outnumbered or diminished, Black hair stylists are neglected, Black grips, gaffers, and camera assistants and operators are shut out of below the line unions – EVERY SINGLE TIME – this gives us less control over our narratives, continues the legacy of white supremacy’s influence over our stories and makes Black people in Hollywood and all over America less safe,” the letter reads.Within it are five steps Hollywood must take to make significant change. These include divesting from police on-set and divesting from anti-Black content, including glorifying police brutality and telling stories that dehumanize Black people. The group also calls for Hollywood to invest in anti-racist content, as well as the careers of Black professionals and the Black community, including hiring more Black-owned businesses to provide services like catering and PR.

 

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In light of continued systemic, brutal murders of Black people by police and white supremacy, over 300 powerful members of the Black community in Hollywood are standing together with @mvmnt4blklives a coalition of community-based organizations from all over the country including @blklivesmatter @blmlosangeles @osopepatrisse @docmellymel to put together a letter and a list of demands calling on Hollywood to divest from police and make bold moves toward liberation and institutional support for Black people. Read our letter and full list of demands at www.BLDPWR.com. #Hollywood4BlackLives #DefundThePolice

A post shared by Kendrick Sampson (@kendrick38) on Jun 23, 2020 at 11:13am PDT

Dee Rees, who became the first Black woman nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 2018, also signed the letter. Rees’ fourth feature film Mudbound also earned two nominations for actor and singer Mary J. Blige and a Best Cinematographer nomination for Rachel Morrison, making her the first woman ever nominated in the category but Rees was famously snubbed from the Best Director category for her historical drama.Producer Effie Brown has also signed the letter. Brown worked on the fourth season of HBO’s Project Greenlight and engaged in a heated debate with Matt Damon, who shut down the experienced producer when she pointed out a lack of diversity in the project. In a new interview this month with The Hollywood Reporter, Brown revealed that her 2015 onscreen interaction with Damon led to her being blacklisted in Hollywood for years. Brown was only recently able to once again have a seat at the table after director Lee Daniels fought for her to join his company.“Hire, mentor, invest. That’s my advice on how big companies can make changes,” Brown told THR. “The bigger dogs at the studios — the funders and the financiers — need to step up, and that’s when real change will take effect. Give people long-term deals, strategic partnerships, contracts, and consulting gigs for women, people of color, LGBTQ folks, Asians, Indigenous artists. Are you funding these minority-owned companies yet? Invest and provide the resources to people at all levels, including emerging artists, and mentor them — in front of and behind the camera. That’s my ask.”Lena Waithe, who in 2017 became the first Black woman to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for her work on Master of None, has also signed the petition. The actor, writer and producer appeared on The Late Late Show With James Corden this week and addressed the lack of support for Black TV shows. "It's, like, don't act like Black television is invisible,” said Waithe. The creator of Showtime’s The Chi and BET’s Twenties continued, saying “And that's up to places like The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety, and all these trades, to not ignore the Insecures, the BlackAFs, the Dear White Peoples. They have ignored our shows for so long, and they act like we don't even belong in the conversation. And I think it's unfair. I think it's not cool, and I don't have any qualms about calling them out on that."On Monday, the BBC announced plans to invest £100m of its TV budget over the next three years to producing "diverse and inclusive content.” One of the few BBC productions currently on air featuring a Black lead is I May Destroy You starring Michaela Coel, who also created, wrote and co-directed and produced the critically-acclaimed series.[video_embed id='1982962']BEFORE YOU GO: How Hollywood has reinforced the idea that police brutality is the norm[/video_embed]