Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1280987
sagaftra.org | Summer 2020 | SAG-AFTRA 49 T he President's Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engage- ment kicked off its new Race & Storytelling series on June 22 featuring high-profile members and industry insiders. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris opened the webinar, which was moderated by National Board member Jason George.The discussion focused on the racism and racial biases African American performers face. It also explored ways to showcase honest and authentic portrayals of the Black experience and build opportunities for African Americans at all levels of the entertainment industry. "The reason we're having this conversation is because we're trying to educate folks," said George, who is the chair of SAG-AFTRA's National Diversity Advisory Committee. "People of color know much of the information; they lived this experience. But for people who are not people of color, we're trying to educate them in terms of what our experience has been in Hollywood, in the workplace, living in this country." Here's what some of the panelists had to say … Watch at youtube.com/sagaftra. "You just have to remind people that the doctor does not have to be Asian, the janitor does not have to be an old Black man, the nurse does not have to be a woman. Yes, a disabled actor can be the scientist." — Paris Barclay, Director-producer "The business model of the industry is changing. If we are disciplined and serious about taking what could be incremental change and making that revolutionary change, we could take advantage of that business model switch." — David White, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director "We have been fighting this fight for as long as I have been in the industry to make sure that the people who are in the makeup and hair trailer actually know how to do Black hair and Black faces." — Yvette Nicole Brown, National Board member "Don't ever underestimate the power of a story well told — with Black people in it. People can see themselves in that story." — Sterling K. Brown, Member "We all have such organic, innate beauty. We don't need to be homogenized into one type of beauty." — Michelle Hurd, National Board member "Throughout the course of my career, so many of the projects I worked on were not run by Black people." — Robi Reed, BET Vice President of Talent and Casting for Original Programming RACE & STORYTELLING