Change starts with representation and visibility! That being said, Michael B. Jordan promised to help with promoting black culture and diversity during a Black Lives Matter march he was part of earlier today in L.A.
The actor opened up about the characters he has portrayed and what he’s learned from them about racial injustice.
Furthermore, he stressed that Hollywood needs to contribute to sharing a variety of different black stories as a way to achieve proper racial representation.
He began by mentioning the role he played in Fruitvale Station.
As fans know, Jordan portrayed Oscar Grant, a young African-American man murdered by police back in 2009.
The actor shared with the crowd how playing Grant helped him experience ‘the pain of his family… I lived with it for a really long time.’
He went on to also mention his role as fireman Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451, saying he ‘was thirsty for knowledge and joined a revolution.’
Of course, his character in Black Panther was also included in the discussion as well as the character of Bryan Stevenson in Just Mercy
Jordan insisted that each and every role affected his life and explained that ‘That’s why I love and support everyone that is out here because we have to be here together, to show the support.’
Then he called out all the brands he works with saying, in part, that ‘if you have racist beliefs, if you are not with me, if you do not stand with me and the people that look like me, you do not need to be with me.’
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBG0ALhBAs7/
Finally, he addressed the entertainment and film industry and demanded more diversity on screen and behind the scenes as well.
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He reminded agencies and studios that ‘You committed to a 50/50 gender parity in 2020, where’s the challenge to also commit to black hiring? Black content, led by black executives, by black consultants… Let us bring our darkness to the light?’
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