Filed under: News, Interviews, Race and Civil Rights
Turn on the television and it quickly becomes clear that there is a lack of minorities in programming across the board. In fact, the major broadcast networks do not have a show with a majority-minority cast.
TBS has Tyler Perry's two shows, Ice Cube's Are We There Yet? and George Lopez' talk show. Then there are a few shows with black characters in the lead, including Jada Pinkett-Smith's leading role in "Hawthorne" and LL Cool J's role on "NCIS."
Eric Deggans, television and media critic for the St. Petersburg Times, told Aol. Black Voices that NBC has four new shows with diverse casts this fall, including one from "Lost" creator J.J. Abrams, which has two lead black actors and another with Jimmy Smits.
Still, compared to the 1990s when shows like "Martin" and "A Different World" were on the air, there just aren't many black shows anymore. Instead, it seems that non-white characters are sprinkled in supporting roles on shows with largely white casts. Meanwhile, even quality shows that feature black lead characters, like Dennis Haysbert on CBS' "The Unit," are canceled.
"I think there need to be shows featuring non-white characters as lead characters. Otherwise, we all learn to see people of color as sidekicks in society. I would love to see a few shows on networks TV with majority minority casts, but i don't think a show like that can get enough viewership from white audiences -- which networks are loathe to talk about," said Deggans.
An NAACP study from 2009 found a big drop in the number of minority actors from the 2002-2003 seasons: 333 to just 307 four years later. The number of minority writers in 2006-2007 seasons dropped from 205 to 173 a couple of years earlier.
"I think its still a white, white world," comedian and producer Wil Sylvince (pictured at right above with Mike Epps) told Aol. Black Voices in an interview. "We are trying to make moves to change that."
One of those steps is NBC's Stand-Up for Diversity, a nationwide search to find the funniest comics from diverse backgrounds. Now in its seventh year, the showcase has created a pool of talent for NBC, leading to other opportunities for those involved, Kendra Carter, director of talent and diversity initiatives for NBC Universal, told Aol. Black Voices in an interview.
"A lot of comics have gotten agents and managers and some have gone on to be writers on "Saturday Night Live" and win guest spots on other shows," Carter said. "The program is a great pipeline to find that new talent and introduce them to the audience at-large."Sylvince, a veteran of Stand-Up for Diversity's 2005 season, is one of the successes to come out of the program. He's toured with the likes of Damon Wayans, D.L. Hughley, Chris Tucker, Kat Williams and Bill Bellamy while appearing on shows like HBO's Def Comedy Jam.
Now, Sylvince is doing more behind the scenes work, including hosting NBC's Short Cuts film festival, which he founded. It's another effort to allow a diverse spectrum of artists to come forward by hosting independent short films.
"It's a great thing that reflects the way the world really is," Sylvince said of Stand-Up for Diversity and Short Cuts.
But in today's world, it's about more than black and white, said Carter.
"People always forget that there are other areas to diversity than just race. What about disabled actors or seniors? We are always looking for someone to provide that different voice."
With the change in technology, there are more opportunities than ever before, said Sylvince.
"We should create our own. We shouldn't wait for the corporations because we have more opportunities than in years past. Equipment is cheaper. You can make a movie with a digital camera and laptop."
In short, the message to aspiring artists of diverse backgrounds is to get out and do it. Network television also needs to step up their efforts, said Deggans.
"I think we've reached the point where we need all networks to try a little for diversity in casting and employment, rather than have one network try a grand experiment every season," Deggans said.
Stand-Up for Diversity has one more open call this summer on September 13th at The Punchline in San Francisco. The finale will be held in December in Los Angeles.
"We still have a long way to go. We just have to keep proving ourselves," said Sylvince. "It's like, hey, we are funny, talented people here again. It's kind of like playing peek-a-boo with a baby."