Need Black Female Writers? Here's 62 of Them.

via THR

Too often do we hear the redundant (but still equally important) cry for more representation of people of color and women in the entertainment industry. But rarely do we read about any action being taken to address the issue. Well, Queen and history-made Emmy winner Lena Waithe has sprinkled her black girl magic to bring us ‘Black Women Who Brunch’ — the industry’s answer to "We Can't Find Any Black Female Writers".

The Hollywood Reporter presented 60-damn-2 black women writers for their largest shoot ever. Not enough black female writers, huh? Well here’s a damn editorial S P R E A D of talented and accomplished women ready to work! These women not only represent the availability of black female writers, but the eagerness and demand for visibility and opportunity.

via THR

‘Black Women Who Brunch’ is a networking, support and resource group co-started by Waithe in 2014, along with Nkechi Okoro Carroll (then story editor for Bones) and Erika L. Johnson (then writer for Being Mary Jane). In the article, the women discuss their frustrations about the industry, their feelings about being the ‘token one’ in the writer’s room, microaggression horror stories and the benefits of being part of such an empowering collective.

via twitter

So is there truly any power in racially centered support groups and/or hashtags such as #blackgirlmagic and #fiercelylatina (a Latina driven power group started by Rosario Dawson, Eva Longoria and Gina Rodriquez)? Of course there is! Well then, what’s the difference between black and Latina people who gather together and white people who just want to keep their race pure? WELL ILL TELL YA RACIST SAM!

The difference between ‘Black Women Who Brunch’ and ‘Fiercely Latina’ groups is that though racially-centered, their focus is for visibility and equality— rather than say, racially-charged Neo Nazi groups whose foundation is based on dominance and the total elimination of everyone else. ‘Black Women Who Brunch’ and ‘Fiercely Latina’ are important for two reasons. They demand the industry acknowledge the talent and availability of women by recognizing the diversity of what it means to be black and/or Latina. Both groups also dismantle the notion that women cannot work together because we are in constant competition with one another. Instead, it shows the power in numbers when women show up, speak out and stand up together.

We desperately need more empowering groups and hashtags that celebrate racial and sexual identities. However this doesn’t mean we need to wait for another magazine spread to recognize them. advertise them/in order to celebrate them now. Do your research, follow them on social media and do your part to help marginalized groups receive the recognition that has been so long overdue.