Supporting Black stories in Hollywood goes beyond just sharing these creations amongst our community, it requires real action behind our words as well. For TV director and “Black Lightning” creator Salim Akil, his mission in the entertainment industry involves championing both Black creators and creators of color who work behind the scenes to put these stories together. The social reckoning that occurred back in June took a good look at Hollywood’s infrastructure and made a mass call for restoration to make the industry more diverse and inclusive. Although that social moment in the summer lit a fire under Hollywood’s playmakers to begin making those necessary changes, creators like Akil have been telling Black and diverse stories far before then and the pandemic. “The events of the summer gave some people who may have been a little reluctant to delve into those stories permission and/or the courage to go ahead and tell them,” he said. In regards to producing said stories, Akil...

There’s been a major shift in streaming services this year pushing for more Black-led and Black-centered content to be present. While Black creators have always been present to speak to Black experiences from genuine perspectives, the lack of places to have those experiences heard has made it increasingly difficult to create more visibility. Quibi — a short-form video service that officially launched on April 6 — included a slew of programs in their Daily Essentials lineup for daily-curated minutes long content. Among the bunch to originally launch with the streaming platform was “The Nod with Brittany & Eric” , a former audio podcast turned daily video series that digs into the stories of Black life that are not often told. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Nod (@thenodshow) With a passion for Black culture, hosts Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings cover everything on their digital show including film, fashion, sports, food, television, and more. Similar to the podcast’s...