In the wake of public outcry over the lack of Black representation in the film industry, animation studios and entertainment companies at large have publicized their commitment to diversity and hiring more people of color at every level.
“I think the films and the shows do a good job of showing what’s possible to audiences,” says Grant. “I think it works in the sense of kids out there and people out there and families out there seeing themselves on screen. I think the possibility is the first step for people to even think it’s possible to end up in an in a career like this.
The Black N Animated organization was started to help form a community for Black animators and help them break into toon careers.is also advocating for animators of color and seeks to broaden representation. One of the group’s co-founders, Frank E. Abney III, has worked at Disney, DreamWorks and Pixar over his extensive career that includes titles such as “The Incredibles 2,” “Coco” and “Toy Story 4.
Marshell Becton, line producer on “Gen: Lock,” has worked as a producer on “SuperMansion” and the movie “My Little Pony: Rarity, the Queen of Fashion!” She believes diversity will increase as Black creatives are given more opportunities to begin their animation careers. “For the individual and for the studio to find people was very difficult even if the studio was going to have a big diversity fair in the mid-2000s,” Walden says. “When I got here it was still very difficult because studios or recruiters would kind of need to know individual people or it was focused on college requirements and by the time people get to college some sifting has occurred.
iamcarljones I’d take a Star Trek series with a blk male starship captain
When are we getting our Moana, Coco, or Encanto?