Film academy to host virtual panels about inclusion, equity

Lee Daniels, Lulu Wang and Taraji P. Henson are among the talent participating in a series of virtual panels about inclusion and equity in Hollywood hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organization that puts on the Oscars said Thursday that the panels rolling out through September and October will be available to the public.

Topics will include navigating Hollywood as a Black gay man, with Daniels and “Moonlight” screenwriter Tarrell Alvin McCraney, Latino erasure in Hollywood, with Marvel executive Victoria Alonso, documentaries, colour-conscious casting and gender parity. There will also be a town hall focused on the organization’s Black membership.

Entitled “Academy Dialogues: It Starts with Us,” the series is part of the film academy’s push to further equity and inclusion in its ranks and in the entertainment industry.

“These conversations may be uncomfortable for some, but they are necessary to broaden the stories that are getting told and increase opportunities for those who have been excluded,” said Lorenza Muñoz, EVP, Member Relations and Awards, in a written statement.

The series launched last month with a conversation between Whoopi Goldberg and civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson about the power of narrative. It’s currently available on YouTube.

Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press