Diversity activists are accusing the entertainment industry of “corporate blackface” and running out of “White guilt” after a number of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) executives at top entertainment and media companies suddenly stepped down or were forced out of their roles.
Between June 20 and July 3, at least five executives overseeing DEI initiatives at leading entertainment companies including Disney, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, left their posts.
All the outgoing execs are Black women.
An LA Times story published Tuesday linked the high-profile exits to the backlash against “wokeness” by conservative politics and pundits, as many speculate whether the job changes are a result of the growing pushback to the left’s diversity push.
The story, titled “High-profile exits spark fears that Hollywood diversity pledges are just ‘PR,’ focuses its ire on the entertainment industry, citing a number of outraged equity activists who accused Hollywood of making insincere commitments to diversity and racial justice programs for “PR” purposes after the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020.