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

• Alexander Truth in Testimony [PDF]
• Alexander Bio [PDF]

Mr. Daniel Dae Kim, Actor and Producer

• Kim Truth in Testimony [PDF]
• Kim Bio [PDF]

Mr. Edward James Olmos, Actor and Producer

• Olmos Truth in Testimony [PDF]
• Olmos Bio [PDF]

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

• Smith Truth in Testimony [PDF]
• Smith Bio [PDF]

Ms. Karyn A. Temple Esq., Senior Executive Vice President and Global General Counsel, Motion Picture Association, Inc.

• Temple Truth in Testimony [PDF]
• Temple Bio [PDF]

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.

The post House Judiciary Hearing: Speaking Up For Multi-Colored Media first appeared on .

Developed by Najera, NIA is a humor-filled, effusive podcast show created with a heart to fill the void for a much-needed conversation with today’s top voices in diversity, entertainment, and politics. Initial guests to date include Academy Award® nominee/Tony Award® winner Edward James Olmos, comedians Wendy Leiberman, Carole Montgomery, Erik Rivera, Momo Rodriguez and former Telemundo President, author, and motivational speaker, Nely Galan.

Najera explained that NIA, created at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, came from his desire to give people hope during a very difficult time. As the creator of Latino Thought Makers, his on-camera, current live show of more than six years, Najera was already trying to bring diversity to the forefront. With his new podcast, he wants his audiences to know that people, around the country, are all in this together.

The initial show guests are comedian Momo Rodriguez; independent producer, former President of Entertainment for Telemundo, Nely Galan, and Hector Rodriguez . The conversation is informative, warm and conversational. It is fun, funny, and yet you will learn something with each guest in the pilot podcast, about culture, relationships, and life struggles during these unprecedented times. “Nowadays, people are waking up and saying: ‘My God how can it get worse?’ Well, in this show I get to tell you in a comedic way,” Najera states.

“Nowadays, people are waking up and saying: ‘My God how can it get worse?’ And points to his coping process, “I know my friends, I know who my family is and I know who I am. That’s the most important thing you need to know because when the winds of change happen…It’s your opinion of yourself that really matters.” He points out that Najera in America gets to the issues and does so in a comedic way.

reVolver Podcasts is a multicultural, audio-on-demand content creator and distributor in the U.S. Home to , The Power of Us,” and “Don Cheto, Al Aire” plus more than 50 additional programs spanning sports, music, finance, entertainment, lifestyle, health and wellness, inspiration, news, branded content and live events. The podcasts are distributed on reVolverPodcasts.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and iHeartMedia.

“Storytelling is at the core of reVolver Podcasts entertainment lineup,” said President of reVolver Podcasts Jack Hobbs. “I am excited to have Rick and his show bringing important subjects such as diversity, entertainment, and politics to our unique digital platform.”

A consummate industry professional and a Los Angeles native, Najera worked his way up from Shakespeare at the Old Globe Repertory Theater to writing for major television comedies such as In Living Color, Robert Townsend, MADtv to dramatic shows, such as East Los High for Hulu. He developed his self-written stage play: Latinologues, which was taken to Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre in New York. Najera is considered among the top sketch comedy writers and speakers in Hollywood. He also starred in two Showtime specials, Diary of a Dad Man and Legally Brown. Currently, he is also working on his fifth book with Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, based on writing and speaking.

Najera in America is produced by reVolver Podcasts and Cohesive Entertainment Group, LLC and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, iHeart, Spotify.

Follow the Najera in America podcast on social media at @najerainamerica and hashtag #NIA and #NajeraInAmerica.

Najera is repped by Daryn Simons at Cohesive Entertainment Group, LLC.

The post Rick Najera Partners with ReVolver Podcasts on “Najera In America” a Comedic Take on Diversity in America first appeared on .