A group of state legislators representing California’s Congressional Black Caucus is calling on movie studios to meet with them over the sudden firings of Black female executives in recent weeks.
Senior leadership positions include Verner Myers (Netflix), LaTandra Newton (Disney), Jeanelle English (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), and Karen Horn and Tera Potts (Warner Bros. Discovery). The mass exodus of black women from the United States raises questions. The depth of the film and television industry’s commitment to diversifying the entertainment industry’s top ranks.
CLBC held a press conference Thursday citing executive resignations and firings after state lawmakers approved a $1.6 billion film tax credit plan that provides tax incentives to movie studios. .
Sen. Laura Smallwood-Cuevas said at a news conference that the firing of the executive could be a fluke. “But four more? And I hear there’s more to come. It’s a troubling pattern. A pattern that suggests diversity, equity, and inclusion is a film in which decisions are made and institutional change occurs. It’s no longer a priority at the highest levels of the industry.”
“As Vice Chair of the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, I am proud to stand in solidarity with my colleagues in the California Legislative Black Caucus and condemn the recent firings of leading African Americans in the entertainment industry,” said Senator Dave Minn. “I think so,” he said. “At a time when too many marginalized communities in our country feel under attack, it’s more important for Hollywood to respond to deranged political attacks than fairness or real consequences. It’s sending the wrong message.”
Across the industry, only a small number of Black business owners hold executive positions. Among them is Perna Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studios Group (part of NBC Universal, the parent company of NBC News). WBTV Chairman and CEO Channing Dungey and TriStar Pictures President Nicole Brown. Multiple industry insiders speak. variety More BIPOC executives are expected to join BIPOC in the coming weeks, especially in the wake of the SAG-AFTRA strike that began Thursday.
