Plurality Thinks There Are Enough Diverse Roles in Hollywood

Forty-five percent of white Americans said there are sufficient acting roles for racially diverse people, while half of African-Americans said there are not enough roles.

Stacy L. Smith, an expert on entertainment and media portrayals, and members of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examined 1,100 popular films from 2007-2017 and found that more than 70 percent of characters were white, while 12.1 percent were black. A study from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media determined that of the top 100 family films (movies rated G, PG or PG-13) released between 2007-2017, 16.7 percent of leads were people of color.  

Five of the 20 nominations for acting roles in this year’s Academy Awards went to racial and ethnic minorities, compared to four last year.

Recent films, including Oscar Best Picture nominees “Black Panther” and “Get Out,” have highlighted how films about people of color, directed by people of color, can receive critical acclaim and major box office sales. Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, said that as these films and their directors find success, they help pave the way for more diverse content.

“What we have seen is a number of creators of color gaining more traction and building their own brand, and building their own businesses to move content, and that has been incredibly important,” Robinson said.  

ncG1vNJzZmiooqR7rrvRp6Cnn5Oku7TBy61lnKedZK6zwMico56rX6W5tr7ApaCtsV2ptaq6yqxkraCVp7JurdGeZJ6mn6q0qXnDoq2eqqOaerO7y56qZqGeYrWwuMuyrqinlA%3D%3D