Today, September 24th, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing at 2:30PM ET on Diversity in America: The Representation of People of Color in the Media examining the lack of diversity in the media, with a focus on the film industry. The hearing which was long sought by Leaders of the Congressional Tri-Caucus led by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) will be broadcasted live on the House Judiciary Committee’s YouTube channel.
Chairman Castro recently published an op-ed in Variety on why Latino representation matters and the case for government intervention in the industry. This hearing would not be possible without the support of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. We hope this is the first hearing of many on the issue of diversity in media and entertainment.
The hearing is open to the public and can be viewed HERE
Established in 1813, the House Judiciary Committee is the second oldest standing committee in Congress. Today, the Committee is at the forefront of some of the most significant issues facing our nation, including protecting Constitutional freedoms and civil liberties, oversight of the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, legal and regulatory reform, innovation, competition and anti-trust laws, terrorism and crime, and immigration reform. The Committee has jurisdiction over all proposed amendments to the Constitution, and each of its subcommittees has roots in that document. The House Judiciary Committee usually sends the greatest number of substantive bills to the House floor each year.
“The media and Hollywood are the narrative-creating and image-defining institutions of American culture, yet for far too long Latinos have been hardly represented, and often depicted as stereotypes. This erasure has a high cost: today there is dangerous nexus between the racist political rhetoric and the images that people see on their screens of Latinos as criminals and as threats to society,” said Chairman Joaquin Castro, Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “I appreciate Chairman Nadler and the House Judiciary Committee for holding this important hearing, especially during Hispanic Heritage Month. “Diversity and representation are not just about jobs, but also shape the perception of our communities.”
Witnesses who will be testifying include (in this order).
Ms. Erika Alexander, Actor/Director/Producer and Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Color Farm Media
Mr. Daniel Dae Kim, Actor and Producer
Mr. Edward James Olmos, Actor and Producer
Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Associate Professor of Communication and Founder and Director, Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California
Ms. Karyn A. Temple Esq., Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel, Motion Picture Association, Inc.
Ms. Joy Villa, Recording Artist, Actor, and Author
Mr. Jason Whitlock, Sports Journalist
Ahead of the hearing, Tri-Caucus Chairs and Latino community leaders released the following statements before the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Diversity in America: The Representation of People of Color in the Media.