Women in the business of media have taken the entertainment industry by storm. Tons of movies and television shows are made each year and who are you most likely to see on the big screen? MEN!
Women play a huge part in the advancement of the media industry but are faced with obstacles from their male counterparts. Women already have a hard role, but black women suffer the most. Black women are underrepresented in news stations, cinema films, television shows, broadcasting, and in advertising. Every human being relies on the media for current news and entertainment. Women have helped build the entertainment industry while most men take the credit and a bigger pay on top of that.
Through the last couple of decades though present-day black women have been pulling a chair to the table when one isn’t being offered in this entertainment industry. Black women struggle to book roles and jobs due to their gender and even more because of their skin color.
These women have helped change this narrative for the better and open doors for black women all around the world.
Diahann Carroll was the lead in the sitcom Julia in 1968. The role made her the first African-American woman to star in her own TV series. She was nominated for an Emmy for Julia in 1969 and won the Golden Globe Award in 1968.
Phylicia Rashad became the first African American woman to win (2004) a Tony Award for best actress; she won the honor for her performance in the play A Raisin in the Sun.
Viola Davis is the first African American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in “How to Get Away with Murder.”
These women opened doors for actresses such as Taraji P. Henson, Angela Bassett, Gabrielle Union, and Regina King.
The latest actress to make history in the media was Marsai Martin. Martin starred in her first studio feature film, the comedy Little, for Universal Pictures. At the age of 13, she became executive producer of the film, making her the youngest person in Hollywood to ever produce a movie.
Broadcast Journalists and Talk Show Hosts have also made an impact. Oprah Winfrey was the first talk show host, African American, and woman to have the highest-rated program of its kind in the history of American television from 1986 to 2011. This made it possible for people like Robin Roberts, Gayle King, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tamron Hall.
Directors and producers have contributed to the media in more ways than one. In 2012, Ava Duvernay became the first African American woman to win a directing award at the Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film, “Middle of Nowhere.” She also was the first African American female director nominated for a Golden Globe for her movie “Selma.” She helped pave the way for Shonda Rhimes and Kasi Lemmons.