A call for Black editors on social media has put another spotlight on Hollywood, its lack of diversity, and its reluctance to change.
On the heels of recent Black Lives Matter protests, Sunwise Media owner Ri-Karlo Handy was getting flooded with requests from movie industry executives for Black editors.
“Black is not just a color, it’s also culture, right?” says Handy. “And so that’s part of why people would be looking for this.”
So he posted in a Facebook group with roughly 14,000 members, “Looking for Black Union editors ... please DM me your contact info!”
The film editor and production executive was not prepared for what came next. Mixed in with hundreds of supportive responses, group members accused him of “anti-white racism” and “reverse discrimination,” according to screenshots of the post.
The Facebook callout was to assemble a contact list. “Throughout my career, I have helped many people find work. I mean this entire business is based on recommendation. It’s all about your social circle and who you know,” Handy says.
While reading through some of the responses was disappointing, Handy remains hopeful. “If we do something, it can be a conversation that can really shift. But if it doesn’t shift and nothing happens, that’s where the disappointment and anger builds up because it’s not a new conversation. And so we really have to make an effort to do something and not just talk about it.”