Shonda Rhimes, creator of hit shows such as Scandal, "How to Get Away with Murder," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice," said it best when she stated " I really hate the word 'diversity'. It suggests something...other. As if it's something special or rare. Diversity! AS if there is something unusual about telling stories involving women and people of color and LGBTQ characters on TV. I have a different word: normalizing. I'm normalizing TV." But that's the whole point; what Hollywood's directors considers to be normal are shows that depict all white, heterosexual characters that go through the motions of everyday life. This is quite telling since according to studies by 2050 Latinos will be part of the majority of this country and other minorities like African-Americans are also part of this growing trend.
America's racial demographic is changing and Hollywood needs to keep up whether they like it or not. Excluding minorities from being cast in movies and TV is not only misrepresenting real American society but it is also costing the industry billions of dollars. Believe it or not, there is a lot of money to be made in minority communities. In fact in 2014, people of color purchased 46% of all movie tickets sold in the U.S. and Latinos were particularly well represented among minority ticket buyers. So knowing this what is the real reason why it's taking so long for Hollywood to diversify? Apparently, the white males that dominate in this industry think that movies and TV shows that depict the typical white families are the safest choice for American society. This is the most predictable outcome and it should stay that way. Why rock the boat?
Well if it wasn't for the genius of notable minority directors such as Shonda Rhimes, Spike Lee, Ava Duvernay, Forest Whitaker and others we would not have the privilege of enjoying films like Malcom X, Selma, Waiting to Exhale and others which give viewers a peek into black society's power and perspective. It's story-telling at its best. No one can best perceive black perspective by merely telling a story, showing it is the only option.
Now this is not to say that progress has not been made over the past years. Actors like Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Jamie Fox, and others won Academy Awards for their roles in their respective films. Just recently in 2014 David Oyelowo won a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Martin Luther King in the movie "Selma." "Selma" also received an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "Glory" which brought many people both black and white to their feet and to tears.
Hopefully, Hollywood will get with the program and start integrating these changes into their cinematic repertoire. In the meantime minorities, like always will have to sit and wait patiently until that magical day.
