Watch: Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins on Race’s Importance in Narratives

“It blew my mind the first time I saw a black character on an HBO show that wasn’t in jail. Diversity is important because the world is diverse.” Suggested Reading Trump Just Ramped Up His Immigrant Deportation Plans to a Scary Degree Support Rolls in For Supermodel Anok Yai Following Her Heartbreaking Health Reveal Our…

“It blew my mind the first time I saw a black character on an HBO show that wasn’t in jail. Diversity is important because the world is diverse.”

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Nicholas Duvernay Talks ‘White Lotus’ Season 3, Working with Natasha Rothwell

—Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins was recognized on The Root 100 this year for his work changing narratives through the theatrical arts. In 2016, Jacobs-Jenkins was awarded a MacArthur “genius” grant, and his play Gloria was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

See more about how the playwright changes race narratives in the above video.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.