Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan told a crowd on Saturday at a protest in Los Angeles, California, that Hollywood must “commit to black hiring” in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and suggested that Hollywood is “policing” black “storytelling.”
“I want us to invest in black staff,” said Jordan of Hollywood, adding that while he uses his platform to “demand diversity,” it is now time for Hollywood to take action. “You committed to a 50/50 gender parity in 2020,” continued the actor. “Where is the challenge to commit to black hiring? Black content led by black executives, black consultants.”
“Are you policing our storytelling as well?” added Jordan, who played a black man killed by a police officer in the 2013 film Fruitvale Station.
Watch below:
“So let us bring our darkness to the light. Black culture. The thinkers, sports, comedic culture that you guys love so much — we dealt with discrimination at every turn. Can you help form black brands, cultural leaders, black organizations?” Jordan continued. “A great agent doesn’t have to be a great organizer, but a great agent could advocate for relationships with organizers. Will you support a non-profit that’s working to solve problems of our industry, that our industry created?”
A large crowd of protesters were gathered on Saturday in downtown Los Angeles. The city has been a haven for protests over the past week, following the death of George Floyd. Some of the protests have devolved into riots, prompting the mayor of Los Angeles to issue a curfew and call on the state’s National Guard for help.
Pop star Billie Eilish was also spotted in Highland Park on Saturday, wielding a sign, which read, “Stop Killing Black People.”
Last week, after rioters set cities across the country on fire, Eilish took to social media to rant about “white privilege,” telling white people that “you are privileged whether you like it or not,” and claiming that black people get killed “just for being black.”
The singer’s rant came after the fourth consecutive day of riots across the country, which have included looting, buildings being set on fire, businesses destroyed, the White House going on lockdown, and people being beaten and killed.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.