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Today, March 8th, is hereby known as Jedi Day. This is because today in Hollywood, California, Mark Hamill will be recognized for his contribution to entertainment with his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The monkeys at ThinkGeek want to take the time to celebrate Mark Hamill and everything we love about the Jedi.

When Frances McDormand closed her Oscar acceptance speech last weekend with the phrase “inclusion rider,” very few had ever heard the term based on the scanty applause in the audience and the spike in Google searches.

Deemed the Rooney Rule for Hollywood, Stacy L. Smith, who directs the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California, introduced the idea in a 2014 column:

What if A-list actors amended every contract with an equity rider? The clause would state that tertiary speaking characters should match the gender distribution of the setting for the film, as long as it’s sensible for the plot. If notable actors working across 25 top films in 2013 had made this change to their contracts, the proportion of balanced films (about half-female) would have jumped from 16 percent to 41 percent. Imagine the possibilities if a few actors exercised their power contractually on behalf of women and girls. It wouldn’t necessarily mean more lead roles for females, but it would create a diverse onscreen demography reflecting a population comprised of 50 percent women and girls.

An “inclusion rider” is a clause that actors and actresses can ask to be inserted into their contract that would require diversity among a film’s cast and crew.

In light of the global success of the Black Panther movie, actor Michael B. Jordan announced yesterday that he will be adopting the diversity clause for all the projects his production company, Outlier Society takes on going forward.

“In support of the women & men who are leading this fight, I will be adopting the Inclusion Rider for all projects produced by my company Outlier Society,” the post read. “I’ve been privileged to work with powerful woman & persons of color throughout my career & it’s Outlier’s mission to continue to create for talented individuals going forward.”

In support of the women & men who are leading this fight, I will be adopting the Inclusion Rider for all projects produced by my company Outlier Society. I’ve been privileged to work with powerful woman & persons of color throughout my career & it’s Outlier’s mission to continue to create for talented individuals going forward. If you want to learn more about how to support the cause – link in bio. #OutlierSociety #AnnenbergInclusionInitiative

A post shared by Michael B. Jordan (@michaelbjordan) on Mar 7, 2018 at 3:03pm PST

The announcement comes just a day after Netflix CEO’s Reed Hastings said his company has no interests in doing such a thing. Reed said he would rather have his staff speak with filmmakers to determine how diverse the overall cast and crew on a film is.

“We’re not so big on doing everything through agreements,” Hastings said at a press briefing in his office. “We’re trying to do things creatively.”

In January, comedian and Oscar-winning actress Monique called for a boycott of the movie streaming service over gender and pay disparity issues, noting that Netflix allegedly offered her $500,000 for a comedy special while offering millions in compensation to Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock.

While the company, which has an estimated 117 million subscribers continues to play an important role in Hollywood, putting on more shows with diverse casts and producers is a great example of the easiest, quickest, and least permanent execution of diversity, noted Black Enterprise Editor-at-Large Alfred Edmond Jr.

While the company deserves praise for the diversity of its shows, its board is made up of white men and five women, with African Americans only making up 4% of its staff and leadership.

The post What Is An ‘Inclusion Rider’ and Why Is Michael B. Jordan Using One? appeared first on Black Enterprise.

David Oyelowo did not hold back at a recent press luncheon, where ESSENCE and a group of reporters got to discuss the actor's latest film, Gringo. In the film, Oyelowo plays a hapless businessman named Harold, who finds himself mixed up with a drug cartel and his life in shambles. Originally written for a white man, Oyelowo brought a bit of himself and his Nigerian background to the role, convincing director Nash Edgerton to let him play Harold as a Nigerian immigrant. [brightcove id=4072766873001] "The name of the character was originally Harold Salinger and he was a white character living in Chicago with his wife," Oyelowo said at a press luncheon in New York. "Every now and again, I'll read something and the way I know that it's getting under my skin is I start picturing myself in the movie. I just started picturing myself in it and I thought, 'Wow, I wonder if the filmmaker would picture me in it.'" Needless to say, Edgerton was clearly impressed with Oyelowo's take on Harold. The actor's decision to play Harold as a Nigerian immigrant was partially inspired by seeing his father work so hard to give his family a better life. "There was something about the situations he finds himself in–my dad would hate me saying this—that reminds me of my dad. The reason I say that is because my parents were immigrants to the UK and when you are a fish out of water, when you are new to a place, you trust people maybe more than you should." He adds, "If someone says you're getting a promotion, you're like, 'I'm gonna work really hard.' I saw my parents do that and I said [to Edgerton], 'What do you think about me making him Nigerian, a Nigerian immigrant?' And he went, 'Oh! Okay, I never really thought of it.' I started doing the lines as a Nigerian. I grew up, well, I was in the UK, but I lived in Nigeria for seven years, from the age of six to13. I just did some of the lines as I saw it and he went 'Oh my goodness.'" Oyelowo's decision to play Harold as a Nigerian immigrant was also a way to bring a different depiction of Black characters to the screen. "The beautiful thing is that my character Harold can’t be written off as someone who’s not bright or someone that can be dismissed. With the choices I make I’m determined as an actor to bring complexity to what it is to be a black person on planet earth in everything I do. I can’t afford to play caricatures or stereotypes." And, Oyelowo is a master at bringing complexity to the screen as evidenced in Selma, where he plays Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The film received tons of praise from critics and fans in 2014. However, despite all of the positive reactions, it only received two Oscar nominations. Oyelowo revealed that the film was essentially shut out after a negative campaign brought on by a rival studio. "The attacks we faced were real. It was a rival studio who planted stories about how we had marginalized Dr. King in our film. That narrative took over the period of voting from the Academy and the moment the voting stopped, the story disappeared." He adds that Selma director, Ava DuVernay, whose lack of nomination for Best Director stunned many, had to step in to stop demonstrations. "The protests...people were going to go into the theater. People had bought tickets to go into the Oscars and they were going to hold placards up during the telecasts." Selma went on to win Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song at the 2015 Academy Awards, but lost Best Motion Picture of the Year to Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Now, after #OscarSoWhite and recent nominations and wins at the 2018 Academy Awards, Oyelowo seems optimistic about the possibilities ahead for Black filmmakers, especially considering that new companies are willing to take risks. "Now, isn't it amazing? Disney is behind Black Panther. Disney is behind A Wrinkle in Time. Disney is behind Queen of Katwe. I'm very aware that we are in a moment right now that is going to be written about. That my role in Gringo, a studio would not have sanctioned that. The difference? You have companies like Netflix and Amazon who are not as tied to the traditional way of thinking as the big studios that are prepared to take a risk." Catch Gringo in theaters now.

While it is fun getting caught up with the ratchetry and machinations perpetrated by Mike Ross and Harvey Specter on USA’s successful legal drama, Suits, many were drawn to the show by the statuesque genre legend Gina Torres as Jessica Pearson. She was a force to be reckoned with, marching through the halls of Pearson […]

The post Gina Torres Gets The Green Light To Reprise Jessica Pearson In Starring Role appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.