Black Theatre Coalition: ‘Eradicate Racial Inequities in Employment in American Theater’

The Black Theatre Coalition is pushing Hollywood to hire more black talent as part of an effort to “eradicate racial inequities in employment in the American theater.”

Broadway veterans T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald Van Lee announced the formation of the Black Theatre Coalition (BTC), and that the organization is seeking to get producers and theater owners to “eradicate racial inequities in employment in the American theater,” according to a report by Variety.

“Once we identified just how vast the disparity is between the perceived inclusivity on stage and the utter dearth of black professionals off stage, we began outlining ways in which we could address and ultimately eradicate this invisible imparity,” said the co-founders of the BTC in a statement. “This outline provided a clear path forward for our organization and our entire industry. It’s high time to end this ‘illusion of inclusion’ by reshaping the theatrical ecosystem for those who have been marginalized by systematically racist and biased power structures that have endured since the dawn of the American theater.”

The report added that BTC has partnered with companies to ensure that black applicants are identified for employment, paid internships, and mentorships. BTC also plans to launch an annual “Performance Series” to highlight three shows created, produced, designed, and managed by black artists.

Actor Michael B. Jordan is also taking on a separate but similar initiative, partnering with the racial justice activist group Color of Change, and demanding that Hollywood studios “divest from the police” and prove their support for the Black Lives Matter movement by pouring money into “anti-racist” content.

The Black Panther actor and Color of Change published a list of four demands for Hollywood executives, which include the industry’s complete disassociation from law enforcement, even for security purposes on TV and movie shoots.

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