Michael B. Jordan’s Company to Adopt Inclusion Rider on All Projects
Rachel Leah, Salon, March 8, 2018
“Black Panther” star Michael B. Jordan announced that his media and production company, Outlier Society, will adopt inclusion riders for all its future projects. The move, which would contractually oblige each work to prioritize diversity, is a trailblazing step in the ongoing battle to make Hollywood a more equitable space for women and minorities.
{snip} He then linked to the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which since 2005 has studied diversity in film and presented research-based solutions to help foster greater inclusion in Hollywood.
The initiative is led by Dr. Stacy Smith, who first proposed inclusion riders as a viable solution to address inequality on screen in 2014. {snip} “The rider states that women, people of color, people with disabilities and members of LGBT and marginalized communities who are traditionally underrepresented be depicted on screen in proportion to their representation in the population.”
“Inclusion rider” was the phrase actress Frances McDormand closed her Oscar-winning speech with Sunday, after first asking every female nominee to stand. It was a new concept for many, and one McDormand thrusted into the national spotlight. She told reporters that night that she had just learned of the clause herself.
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{snip} Moving forward, the test will be whether straight white men — those with the most privilege and traditionally the most negotiating power — will follow suit.
