Why do Black media outlets often get placed in undesirable areas on the red carpet?
We get placed often at the end, as many of the outlets were at the Grammys, based on my opinion, by how the producer, studio, etc., value your brand. Most often, the people that make these decisions don’t look like me, so I will say their bias might be natural. At the end of the day, the real reason is that we let them — another reason why I posted this video.
What should be done to change this?
Speaking up if you are media. I know how it is to feel like you will get Colin “Kaepernicked” [and] blackballed. I already have and from this video going viral, I wouldn’t be surprised if I am not invited back to a number of award shows. I’m willing to take one for the team if the behavior changes for my colleagues. What artists [and] publicists have to realize is that [the livelihoods of] these people working the carpets, doing the interviews depend on their performance. When you don’t give them a shot, you might’ve prematurely ended their career. And we need more of us out there. End of the day, that’s the mission.
