In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the widespread Black Lives Matter protests, it’s become clear that institutions — not least of all Hollywood — must reckon with their anti-Black racism, and reform. At the same time, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out which steps must be taken to effect the change that is so essential. With hopes of bridging this divide, Michael B. Jordan and Color Of Change have outlined specific anti-racist practices for show business with their #ChangeHollywood initiative.
The award-winning “Creed” actor and the civil rights org have teamed up for the inclusion project, “which begins with a roadmap for change that lays out tangible ways to invest in anti-racist content and authentic Black stories, invest in Black talent, and reinvest police funds to support Black communities,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
#ChangeHollywood will also provide companies, executive leadership, staff, and performers with inclusion recommendations and resources, such as directories, audit analysis, and consulting sessions.
Outlier Society, Jordan’s production company, and Color Of Change are already discussing commitment to #ChangeHollywood with companies including WME and Endeavor Content.
“This roadmap is just the beginning of the journey to racial justice. We are all accomplices in the fight to transform Hollywood, and we invite content creators and industry leaders to join us in working together to #ChangeHollywood,” Jordan said. “We look forward to including a variety of voices in doing what we do best: telling authentic stories, bringing people together, partnering with influential artists, and changing the rules of the game.”
Rashad Robinson, president of Color Of Change, added, “The legacy of racism in Hollywood is long and unforgivable: excluding Black talent, silencing Black voices, derailing Black careers, and using the economic power of the industry to prop up police who target and enact violence on Black communities. We know from our advocacy that the industry won’t change on its own, so we’re building off our current work to hold Hollywood accountable to provide a roadmap to enacting racial justice. From the writers rooms to the streets, we are energized and ready to help Hollywood follow through on their statements that Black lives matter.”
Jordan was one of the first people in Hollywood to publicly commit to adopting the inclusion rider, a legal clause ensuring projects have diverse casts and crews. He vowed that Outlier Society would apply the inclusion rider to all its projects. “Soon after Jordan and Outlier worked with WarnerMedia to establish a new company-wide policy to increase diversity and inclusivity,” the source details. “The film ‘Just Mercy’ was the first produced under that new initiative.”
Jordan stars as civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson in “Just Mercy,” a drama about Stevenson’s defense of a wrongly convicted death row prisoner. “Black Panther” and “Fruitvale Station” are among Jordan’s screen credits. As a producer, he’s worked on “David Makes Man” and “Raising Dion.” He also starred in the latter.
The full #ChangeHollywood roadmap is below, courtesy of THR.
Everyone has a role to play in the #ChangeHollywood Roadmap. Even if you do not have the power to adopt or implement these recommendations in full—or at all—there are still steps you can take toward getting your organization to do so. Do what you can. Keep moving forward.
If you are an individual producer at a studio or network, or a staff member at an agency or other industry organization, you probably cannot change company policy all on your own. But you can use the Roadmap Resources above to make different decisions—for instance, hiring different consultants or different security staffing. You can also use the recommendations below to organize other staff and start conversations in your organization that encourage management to engage with the Roadmap, and ultimately adopt its recommendations.
If you are individual talent or an influencer, you can negotiate certain Roadmap recommendations into your contract (where possible), and you can use your voice and influence to promote the Roadmap recommendations and resources.
If you are an executive, showrunner or a decision maker in an organization, you can adopt these recommendations and invest in them. You can also participate in conversations and task forces that are emerging across the industry to help change practices at the enterprise level.
1. DIVEST FROM THE POLICE
Hollywood must not use its economic power to prop up local police departments and other authorities who threaten and exploit Black lives, or promote anti-Black practices. Instead, where you have or can build the power to do so, advocate for alternatives and for reinvestment in Black communities.
1a. Hire independent security firms, instead of using police departments, for security at events and on sets. Stop all contributions to police unions.
1b. Do not rely on police or any other authorities who promote content that normalizes injustice to shape or vet content about the criminal justice system.
1c. Insist that local governments manage permitting, traffic coordination and other production-related activities through civilian agencies, not police departments.
1d. Where you can use your voice, keep up the pressure on local governments to reduce spending on police and prisons, to adopt transformative changes in the criminal justice system, and to shift investments to Black communities.
2. INVEST IN ANTI-RACIST CONTENT & AUTHENTIC BLACK STORIES
Hollywood must use its cultural power to elevate nuanced portrayals of Black lives, and represent the reality of the criminal justice system.
2a. Advocate for hiring cultural consultants, issue experts and others who can help ensure authentic portrayals of Black people and issues affecting Black people, and who can help avoid harmful and misleading representations related to crime, law and race.
2b. Review and integrate recommendations related to portrayals of the criminal justice system from the Normalizing Injustice report released by Color Of Change.
2c. Advocate for funding independent, comprehensive Racial Justice Content Audits that provide actionable recommendations for improving storytelling and marketing practices, and for preventing bias, stereotype and harm.
2d. Advocate for creating a dedicated budget in your organization for producing and marketing content representing a wide range of authentic Black stories.
2e. Ensure there are multiple senior level Black executives with decision-making authority and marketing supervision in your organization.
3. INVEST IN BLACK TALENT & CAREERS
Hollywood must use its economic power to create pathways for all Black talent to rise in the industry, to ensure a fair and inclusive work environment, and to support Black businesses and talent that are typically excluded from the industry.
3a. Adopt the Inclusion Rider for all productions, and wherever you have influence, promote the adoption of the inclusion rider.
3b. Fund anti-racist trainings for your organization, and fund independent Racial Justice Workplace & Organizational Audits of your organization. Commit to adopting specific recommendations from trainings and audits (such as pay equity and other anti-racist workplace policies and practices), and promote them across the industry in general.
3c. Disclose information about staff diversity in your organization, as well as reporting on equity and anti-racist workplace measures in your organization. Advocate for disclosure across all the organizations with which you are associated or have influence.
3d. Establish proactive recruitment, support, retention and training measures for Black people at all levels of your organization, including LGBTQIA+ Black people. Advocate for establishing those measures wherever you have influence.
3e. Increase the number of Black people in leadership in your organization: board members, executives and senior leaders. True diversity must include increasing the number of people with greenlighting, budgeting and hiring authority, as well as authority throughout the production or management process. Advocate for hiring and promoting Black people wherever you have influence — that includes hiring Black talent for projects beyond those specifically focused on Black stories or issues.
3f. Increase the number of Black vendors and contractors that your organization uses for industry-related services and projects, especially for industry sectors that have traditionally excluded Black people.
4. INVEST IN BLACK COMMUNITIES
Hollywood should use its economic power to support Black communities in all the cities in which it operates, and to support local Black businesses.
4a. Contract with Black-owned and Black-led businesses, and encourage your organization and others to maintain a roster of local Black businesses.
4b. Partner with brands that are in alignment with anti-racist social justice values, and invested in supporting Black communities.
4c. Commit to supporting programs and community initiatives that elevate, support and empower Black communities.
