Over 300 Black Hollywood figures—including stars like Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, and Billy Porter—have signed a letter spearheaded by Insecure’s Kendrick Sampson demanding that the industry divest from the police. The letter was published Tuesday in Variety and comes with a list of demands, including committing to not using police officers on sets and for events, divesting from anti-Black content that glorifies police brutality and corruption, and investing in anti-racist projects. The letter also demands that Hollywood companies recruit and support Black professionals at studios, agencies, and more.
“Historically and currently, Hollywood encourages the epidemic of police violence and culture of anti-Blackness,” the statement reads. “The way that Hollywood and mainstream media have contributed to the criminalization of Black people, the misrepresentation of the legal system, and the glorification of police corruption and violence has had dire consequences on Black lives.”
Sampson wrote the letter after co-organizing an anti-police brutality demonstration after the death of George Floyd. The actor, who has long been a committed activist, was shot with seven rubber bullets and attacked by police with batons at a Los Angeles demonstration in late May. In the letter, which was also signed by Insecure creator and star Issa Rae and backed by organizations like the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, Black Lives Matter, and Color of Change, the group explicitly demands justice for victims like Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and Nina Pop.
“We demand better,” the letter reads. “Prove that Black Lives Matter to Hollywood by taking bold moves to affirm, defend and invest in Black lives. Follow the examples of the Minneapolis School District, Denver Public Schools, the University of Minnesota and many other institutions in divesting from the policing system and investing in the Black community.”
The protests have already pushed Hollywood to make a few changes, including reckoning with the way TV and feature film “copaganda” has shaped the culture. In addition, shows like the problematic, long-running series Cops have been canceled, while several actors who have played law enforcement agents on television have made donations to progressive organizations and bail and bond funds. It’s not quite divestment, but it’s a start.
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Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman Among 300 Black Artists Demanding Hollywood Divest From Police - Vanity Fair
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