diversity and inclusion
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'We Would Not Have All Been White': Cynthia Nixon Reflects on Sex and the City's White Feminism Problem
It’s been 15 years since Sex and the City set the standard for what it meant to be a successful working woman in New York City, with four white actresses (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristen Davis) providing a weekly dose of humor, friendship, fashion, and yes, sex to devoted viewers from…
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Best Thing They Never Had: Beyoncé Reportedly Walked Out on Reebok for Lacking Diversity
Beyoncé’s walk may be iconic, but if she walks out on you, it’s not a good look. That’s what Reebok reportedly found out the hard way while negotiating with the megastar ahead of the eventual partnership she announced with Adidas on Thursday. The reason Reebok wasn’t able to seal the deal with Queen Bey? According…
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Just the Way We Are: Inclusive New Options Are Changing the Face of Stock Photos
There’s a little known but running joke among The Root staff about the catalogs of stock photos we need to do our jobs; inevitably, they manage to be simultaneously inadequate and offensive in their representation of marginalized communities. For instance, a search for “black women and money” may also bring up images of prostitution, while…
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The Makeover: As More Brands Confront Diversity and Inclusion Issues, Here's How H&M Has Been Doing the Work
“Is H&M still canceled?” It’s the question that inevitably arises anytime we so much as mention the Swedish-based fast-fashion juggernaut, which faced international backlash early last year when a black child model was infamously photographed wearing a sweater that read “Coolest Monkey in Jungle.” While the hotly debated gaffe was doubtfully intentional, by their own…
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‘This Is a Movement’: Dapper Dan and Gucci Announce Global ‘Changemakers’ Program
Honestly? If we never saw another balaclava again, we’d be good. As “Blackface-gate” has raged on throughout the fashion industry, several luxury labels—Gucci, Prada and Burberry, among them—have been forced to realize elite status doesn’t exempt them from difficult conversations and accountability on issues of race, diversity and cultural sensitivity. In response, diversity and inclusion…
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Diversity and Inclusion: All Buzzwords and No Action Make a TV Writers’ Room a Dull Place
In corporate America, being a black woman can be lonely as fuck, especially once you reach a certain level of power or stature. That same is true of Hollywood, where writing rooms can look more white and male than a frat party circlejerk at a PWI. Thankfully, there’s a tag-team pair of superheroes ready to…
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Hollywood Has a Problem With Inclusion and These Celebrities Are Trying to Solve It
It’s no secret that Hollywood has a problem with inclusion. As April Reign pointed out with her viral #OscarsSoWhite years ago, Oscars have been white and, might I add, damningly male. Guess what? The greater Hollywood industry isn’t any less pale (or male, for that matter). USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative did some research and found…
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Issa Rae Signs Multi-Year Deal With Columbia Pictures to Give New Diverse Writers Some Shine
Issa Rae’s mission to discover new talent within a diverse and inclusionary scope has just leveled up. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Insecure co-creator and star has just signed a multi-year deal with Columbia Pictures to promote up-and-coming writers with diverse backgrounds. The Columbia deal is with ColorCreative, the platform for emerging, diverse writers…
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There Are Plenty of Black Women TV Writers, Hollywood. Y'all Just Don't Want to See It
It was 2017, and I was sitting in a packed theater in Salt Lake City, Utah watching horror-themed short films directed by women for Sundance’s midnight showcase. After the films faded to black and the lights went up, one particular white male producer went on a spiel during the panel about not being able to…
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For Devon Windsor, Kim Kardashian and White Girls Who Have Considered Highlights When Big Butts Are Enuf
Now see, you should have just sat there and ate your food… IMG model Devon Windsor, who I’m sure is a nice enough, if woefully naive girl, found out the hard way that sometimes—OK, most times—it’s best to just listen when people are talking about a struggle you can’t relate to, rather than unnecessarily insert…