Earlier this month, television director and actress Regina King won a Golden Globe for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk.In her acceptance speech, she vowed to use her position to advance the welfare of women in Hollywood. Hollywood is already known as a male-dominated arena. According to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, it’s even worse at the intersection of race and gender: Black women account for just 16 percent of female characters on screen.
In King's acceptance speech, she promised that everything she produces in the next two years will be 50 percent female. She said, “It can be difficult to get that first shot, because more men are in positions of power and they are more inclined to give other men an opportunity, rather than women. For me, not only am I a woman, I'm a black woman.”
King has acknowledged the unique power she has, with her 30 years of success in the industry, and she intends to use that power to drive change. She acknowledges that it will not be an easy task, but so far, she’s delivered on her promise. “I've seen a couple articles that say I’m not being realistic," she said. "On our set now, both of our camera teams have women on them. It's not impossible. It's just not being done. So, I'm going to show you.” This is exactly the kind of outlook we need to establish equal opportunities!
