FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2020
Media Contact:
Amy Malone, Girl in Charge Public Relations
323-972-481
Women of Color Unite and Casting Society of America Publish Reimagine Casting: A Non-White Paper
LOS ANGELES, CA – Women of Color Unite (WOCU) and Casting Society of America (CSA) have come together to create Reimagine Casting: A Non-White Paper. The partnership is a collaborative effort to address the exclusion of marginalized groups based on ethnicity, size, disability, color, gender, sexual orientation and age. It is a unified call for increased equity and inclusion in casting.
“Our collaboration with WOCU is an important and necessary step in further moving the casting profession forward to ensure equitable and inclusive practices. The Reimagine Casting: A Non-White Paper offers our members an opportunity to directly pledge their commitment to this important topic and drive real change,” said Mike Page, Co-Chair of the CSA Equity & Entertainment Committee, CSA Board of Directors.
The Non-White Paper presents a powerful look at a culture of inequity that limits opportunities for many actors and perpetrates an unrealistic narrow reflection of society. Supporters of the Non-White Paper include Native Media Strategies, Divas With Disabilities, RespectAbility, Black Muslim Girl Fly, Cineladies, IndieFemme, The Bitch Pack, Chicana Director’s Initiative, and South Asian Women in Entertainment.
WOCU members contributed by sharing their experiences:
“The politicization of my hair as a Black woman in the industry is like being a circus animal jumping thru hoops.”
“I was told early on that I should change my name because it would allow my reps to submit me for Caucasian roles since I am ‘white passing’, ‘ethnically ambiguous’ and don’t have an accent.”
“I was told I’m not black enough.”
“I was told I’m too black.”
“I was told that because I have an accent, I can play a nurse but never a doctor and that I can play a teacher but never a professor.”
The Equity in Entertainment Committee of CSA and WOCU’s Actors Committee worked together to strategize and create solutions for change that offers a casting process more reflective of the vast society in which we live. We are disabled, athletic, fat, skinny, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Non-Religious, dark, light, queer, trans, young, old, all labels and no labels. No one size fits all.
The publication of the Non-White Paper is the beginning of breaking down barriers that have stopped talented actors from working for too many years and opens up opportunities for casting directors to present talent based on their merits as actors, not from “Cookie-Cutter” Hollywood stereotypes.
“When Studios and Production Companies say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ what I believe they mean is that police brutally ending a heartbeat that belongs to a Black person matters. We are hopes and dreams, fair access, fair treatment and fair pay. We are more than a heartbeat. I am more than a heartbeat,” said Cheryl L. Bedford, founder of Women of Color Unite.
Producers, Directors, Casting Directors, Production Companies and Studios can sign to take the Pledge for Equity in Casting for the world to see that you are a partner for change. To view, download, and sign the Non-White Paper, visit: https://wocunite.org/non-white-paper/.
Link to PDF: https://wocunite.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CSA-WOCU-Non-white-Paper-Sep-13_compressed.pdf
In addition, WOCU and CSA have partnered on #Startwith8Hollywood CSA Edition, WOCU’s Professional Enrichment Program, and the CSA/WOCU Roundtable Discussion Series.
About Women of Color Unite (WOCU)/The JTC List
Women of Color Unite (WOCU), is a 501c3 non-profit founded by producer and advocate, Cheryl L. Bedford. It is the largest non-profit organization of its kind. Comprised of over 1.8k women of color, the organization advocates against discrimination based on gender, race, color, age, size, sexual orientation or disability. It is a social action organization focused on fair access, fair treatment and fair pay for women of color in all aspects of the entertainment and media industries. To learn more visit: https://wocunite.org/.
ABOUT CASTING SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Casting Society of America (CSA) was founded in February of 1982 with the intention of establishing a recognized standard of professionalism in the casting field and providing its members with a support organization to further their goals and protect their common interests. CSA currently boasts close to 1000 members. CSA casting directors and associate casting directors work around the world, with members based in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. CSA is a global resource for producers, directors and creative teams seeking casting professionals, while promoting the image of casting directors and associate casting directors worldwide, engaging in a number of charitable activities and supporting its members by sharing important and helpful professional information. For more information on the Casting Society of America, please visit CastingSociety.com.
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Girl in Charge Public Relations (GICPR)
Amy Malone, Certified Public Relations Specialist
909-320-8602 Office
323-972-4081 Mobile
