Diversity at the Emmys: Lasting change or one-time gesture?
| Los Angeles
From 鈥淚nsecure鈥濃�檚 20-something women to the Muslim-American star of 鈥淩amy,鈥� Sunday鈥檚 Emmy line-up is an unprecedented showcase for people of color.
But the television industry needs to take concrete action on pledges to nurture nonwhite writers and directors to ensure that the 2020 awards ceremony is not just a blip triggered by a summer of protests over systemic racism in the United States, observers say.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure the last thing the [Academy of Television Arts & Sciences] wanted was to have an 鈥楨mmys so white鈥� controversy in the middle of all that,鈥� said Eric Deggans, TV critic for National Public Radio and author of the 2012 book 鈥淩ace Baiter.鈥澛犫�淪o I鈥檓 not surprised they paid special attention to the work of Black performers.鈥�
Record Emmy nominations for people of color included nods for Kerry Washington (鈥淟ittle Fires Everywhere鈥� and 鈥淎merican Son鈥�), Sandra Oh (鈥淜illing Eve鈥�), Billy Porter (鈥淧ose鈥�), Regina King (鈥淲atchmen鈥�), Issa Rae (鈥淚nsecure鈥�), and Sterling K. Brown (鈥淭his is Us鈥� and 鈥淲atchmen鈥�).
鈥淲atchmen,鈥� the superhero alternative reality drama infused with racial themes, led nominations with 26 nods.
Nominations open doors for other Black, Asian, and Latino creatives, and shape perceptions beyond the world of entertainment, said Rashad Robinson, president of social justice organization Color of Change.
鈥淲hat these awards represent is the industry鈥檚 way of creating a system of letting people in, of creating access to jobs and opportunities,鈥� Mr. Robinson said. 鈥淚t dictates the stories we get to see in the world about who we are, and that has deep implications on the unwritten rules about how we are treated in hospitals, by judges, and at schools.鈥�
The Emmy nominees came from shows that were made before America began a painful cultural reckoning over racism this summer.
More are on their way, including documentary 鈥淒riving While Black;鈥� 鈥淲oke,鈥� about a Black cartoonist who has an encounter with police; abolitionist drama 鈥淭he Good Lord Bird;鈥� and 鈥淓nslaved,鈥� about the history of the slave trade.
Mr. Robinson said that exciting as it is to see Black artists and stories break through, more structural changes 鈥� such as inclusion riders, diversity in writers rooms, and fully rounded characters 鈥� are needed to ensure lasting change.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not enough to care. It鈥檚 not enough to be aware,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to have people willing to act and to make real changes.鈥�
Mr. Deggans noted that Latino talent is still largely overlooked at the Emmys, even though Latinos form America鈥檚 second largest ethnic group after whites.
鈥淚t鈥檚 regrettable that so much of the recognition fell on Black performers and there wasn鈥檛 a little bit more in regard to Latino people especially,鈥� said Mr. Deggans, noting that shows like 鈥淕entefied,鈥� 鈥淰ida,鈥� and 鈥淥ne Day at a Time鈥� were largely overlooked.
鈥淭he cause of Latinx representation in Hollywood is a little further back 鈥� where Black people were, say, 10 years ago,鈥� Mr. Deggans added.
The Emmy Awards will be handed out on Sunday at a virtual ceremony televised on ABC.
This story was reported by Reuters.
