via Wikimedia
Red carpets are hectic. With hordes of reporters vying for the attention of movie stars, hoping to snag an interview, entertainment journalism is a dog eat dog world out there.
The Black press, sadly, is often cast aside.
The red carpet mirrors life: Black people are invisible, left to fight for scraps after white reporters have had their fill of interviews. More and more Black reporters are letting it be known how celebrities and their publicists often skip them over - including by stars who are also Black.
Often, Black celebs capitalize off of the Black press to get successful. But once they are, they frequently hire white publicists who only seek the approval of white outlets.
But not all celebrities are following this trend.
At the latest red carpet for the “John Wick” trilogy, Halle Berry’s publicist attempted to stop her from speaking with two Black reporters; however, Berry refused with a simple yet powerful statement:
“I can’t skip my brother and sister.”
Lil Rel Howery, Sterling K. Brown, and Jordan Peele have also taken a stand for the Black press.
Mainstream outlets don’t care about our voice. Black journalists do, asking the questions that WE care about!
Black journalists are the voice of OUR people. They deserve - and need - to be heard.