Hollywood to Receive an Annual Grade on Diversity by University of Southern California

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported on February 2, 2015 that the Hollywood entertainment industry will receive

annual grade on diversity by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, USC, in Los Angeles.

According to Professor Stacy Smith, in charge of USC’s Media, Diversity, & Social Change project, “in 2013, there were 17 films among the top 100 grossing movies that featured not one Black or African-American speaking character. Across 600 popular films between 2007 and 2013, just two were directed by black women. Clearly, not one group or one company is solely responsible for the lack of diversity on screen or behind the camera. We need a broader look at who is doing well and who needs to step up their game.”

The Comprehensive Analysis and Report on Diversity (CARD) will explore issues of LGBT, gender, race/ethnicity representation in the content of movies, the casting of characters and in hiring. The companies who have established a diverse environment will be honored during an award program.