Black Actors Roundtable: "We’ve Got to Integrate a New Model" (Video)

When asked about performances that made them feel represented for the first time actor Chad L Coleman harkens back to the 3970s ABC sitcom Whatamp8217s Happenin39 quotWith that group of young African American males they were so natural and had playful fun energy I identified with thatquot he says Coleman adds that he didn39t view entertainment through the lens of representation as we do now quotI wasn39t watching TV to see Black peoplequot he recalls quotI had representation in a lot of things from the ministers to teachers the police and the mayor The pride of being Black I almost feel like I never had to question thatquotAngela Lewis shares that growing up in Detroit she was surrounded by people exactly like her and her parents made a conscious effort that she saw as much representation as possible from books and dolls to touring theater productions like Dreamgirls which inspired her to pursue a career in entertainment quotI went to school with all Black students I had mostly Black teachers and it wasn39t until I left home for the University of Michigan that I noticed the differencequot she says quotThey tried to prepare us we did a lot of work on the Civil Rights movement and knew that racism existed and there were lots of biases but it was not until I left home that I experienced itquotAshlei Sharpe Chestnut recently joined the Star Trek franchise in the Paramount series Picard She plays Sidney La Forge an ensign on the iconic USS starship Enterprise an experience she described as quotcompletely surrealquot Her character Sidney is the daughter of Geordi La Forge played by LeVar Burton quotBeing this iconic character39s daughter and stepping into those shoes amp8230 they39re big shoes to fillquot she saysWhen asked what changes need to happen in order for progress in diversity to move forward Ayesha Harris replies quotYou have to put your money where your mouth is There39s a lot of money floating around in Black entertainment and Black sports We39ve got billionaires and highlevel millionaires all over the place Banging down the door that39s doublelocked cemented and where you39re not welcome amp8230 there39s been a lot of progress but there39s a wave that can happen It39s not just about breaking down that door but about creating our own house with our own doorsquotWatch the full interview above or listen wherever you download your podcasts including Audacy iHeartRadio Spotify Apple GooglePodcasts Pandora Stitcher and TuneInClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Black Actors Roundtable: "We’ve Got to Integrate a New Model" (Video)

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Juan Ayala

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Black Actors Roundtable: "We’ve Got to Integrate a New Model" (Video)

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