: “Black America is taking control of both the economic and media influence they wield and using it to invest in Black experiences, Black communities, and Black content.” The report adds, “Black women are twice as likely, compared to viewers overall, to seek out content where they’re seen on screen.” In addition, Black people’s buying power in 2020 totaled $1.75 trillion worldwide, according to the report.
A shared characteristic that many Black women showrunners have is their commitment to diversity in their casts and crews that is not often seen with most other TV shows. Talented and qualified women are given opportunities forA Black Lady Sketch Showmade TV history by winning the 2021 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming — a category that’s been dominated by white male nominees ever since the category was created in 1976.
Hall adds, “My particular lived experience of oftentimes being the only one of my kind in places, that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I’m very willing to take a chance on people, no matter who they are.” Hall says her way of choosing a team member comes down to one question: “Are you right for the show?”
Thede has similar thoughts: “I’ve learned that because the bulk of the show has been made in the pandemic, empathy is the most important thing you can tap into as a showrunner. Because at the end of the day, what translates on screen is directly informed by the environment you create behind the scenes. … I’m first one in, last one out. And if you cannot tap into true empathy, it’s really hard to lead a team, especially since they’re going through a difficult time.