Underrepresented Voices


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

Interviewees discuss the portrayal and contribution of underrepresented voices on television, in the entertainment industry, and in society at large.

Highlights
Sonia Manzano on writing Sesame Street stories on cultural change
03:04
LeVar Burton on it being a big deal to see black people on television when he was growing up
01:20
Marla Gibbs on staying behind at the first table read of The Jeffersons to offer her opinions on naturalistic dialogue, among other points
01:56
Joseph M. Wilcots on being the first African-American to join the camera union
06:05
Leo Yoshimura on the persistent lack of representation of Asian Americans on television
03:57
Silvio Horta on the Latino heritage and social class of Ugly Betty
02:59
Who talked about this topic

Dr. John Leverence

View Interview
Dr. John Leverence on Viola Davis winning an Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2015 (for How to Get Away with Murder) as the first Black actress to win in that category
00:58
Dr. John Leverence on the record number of Black performers to win at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards
00:53

Debbie Allen

View Interview
Debbie Allen on the impact of Roots; on being cast as "Nan" in Roots: The Next Generation
02:07
Debbie Allen on the impact of Roots; on being cast as "Nan" in Roots: The Next Generation
02:07

John Amos

View Interview
John Amos on the public reaction to Roots
02:34
John Amos on his experience playing "Kunta Kinte" on Roots and how his background prepared him for it
12:12
John Amos on the effect of Roots on his personal self-esteem
01:00
John Amos on how roles for African-Americans have changed since he started acting
01:39

Lucie Arnaz

View Interview
Lucie Arnaz on problems faced with I Love Lucy due to her father, Desi Arnaz, being Cuban
01:05

Larry Auerbach

View Interview
Larry Auerbach on representing Sammy Davis, Jr.
03:58

Bob Banner

View Interview
Bob Banner on producing It's Showtime at the Apollo
05:28

Paris Barclay

View Interview
Paris Barclay on producing City of Angels
02:47
Paris Barclay on his involvement with the Diversity Committee of the Directors Guild of America
01:26
Paris Barclay on whether or not he's faced racism in the television industry
01:05

Anne Beatts

View Interview
Anne Beatts on original (and sole African-American) Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris and how he was used on the show
02:10

Milton Berle

View Interview
Milton Berle on booking the African-American group The Four Step Brothers on Texaco Star Theater
05:31

Lewis Bernstein

View Interview
Future executive producer Lewis Bernstein on his impressions of Sesame Street upon seeing the show for the first time circa 1970
00:26
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on Sesame Street's effect on racial tolerance in children
00:46

Steve Binder

View Interview
Steve Binder on producing Petula, and the controversy surrounding a segment of it (part 1)
04:49
Steve Binder on producing Petula, and the controversy surrounding a segment of it (part 2)
04:54

William Blinn

View Interview
William Blinn on "Huggy Bear" on Starsky and Hutch
01:28
William Blinn on the reaction to Brian's Song, and on dealing with the racial aspect of the story
03:59
William Blinn on writing the miniseries Roots
28:30

Allan Blye

View Interview
Allan Blye on the moment between Harry Belafonte and Petula Clark on Clark's 1968 special Petula when the two performers linked arms, which caused controversy at the time
01:20

Steven Bochco

View Interview
Steven Bochco on City of Angels and the importance of the series' predominantly African-American cast and crew
04:04
Steven Bochco on adding the character of Jonathan Rollins (played by Blair Underwood) to diversify the fictional firm of L.A. Law

George Bodenheimer

View Interview
George Bodenheimer on ESPN Deportes
01:07

Pat Boone

View Interview
Pat Boone on controversial performances on The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom and his view of race relations
08:03
Pat Boone on problems he got from sponsors when booking African-American performers on The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom
04:06

Yvette Lee Bowser

View Interview
Yvette Lee Bowser on balancing serious subject matter within the context of a comedy on A Different World -- including the episode "If I Should Die Before I Wake"
03:31
Yvette Lee Bowser on her experience of working on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and not feeling valued
03:22
Yvette Lee Bowser on taking two weeks off from Hangin' with Mr. Cooper to write the pilot for Living Single and on several white male writers getting promoted during her absence; on forming her production company, SisterLee Productions
02:19
Yvette Lee Bowser on pitching her idea for Living Single, pushing back on network notes in order to keep "Maxine Shaw", and finalizing the pilot script for the show
03:37
Yvette Lee Bowser on building the visual environment on Living Single
01:28
Yvette Lee Bowser on the tone of Living Single and on socially responsible storytelling
03:46
Yvette Lee Bowser on Living Single fan mail that she received
01:20
Yvette Lee Bowser on the "Maxine Shaw Effect" from Living Single
01:47
Yvette Lee Bowser on being the first Black woman to create, run, and produce her own primetime series in the U.S. -- with Living Single
01:03
Yvette Lee Bowser on the Black-ish episode "Hope"
04:26
Yvette Lee Bowser on discussions with Justin Simien that led to the "Chapter V" episode of Dear White People in which "Reggie" has a gun pulled on him by campus police
05:34
Yvette Lee Bowser on writing a couple episodes of Dear White People, including co-writing "Volume 2: Chapter IX", in which "Sam" returns home after her father's death; on the female friendships on Dear White People
03:20
Yvette Lee Bowser on the legacy of Dear White People
00:24
Yvette Lee Bowser on working with Onyx Collective on UnPrisoned
01:37

Ed Bradley

View Interview
Ed Bradley on being told by his boss Ed Joyce at WCBS radio not to worry about losing his job after a second African-American man was hired there
01:28

James L. Brooks

View Interview
James L. Brooks on writing for Room 222 - the second show on television starring a person of color
05:03

Vivian Brown

View Interview
Vivian Brown on dealing with racism in the industry
02:32

Ken Burns

View Interview
Ken Burns on his documentary series Baseball, and his career-long exploration of race in America
06:35
Ken Burns on producing the WWII documentary The War: A Ken Burns Film
07:28

LeVar Burton

View Interview
LeVar Burton on it being a big deal to see black people on television when he was growing up
01:20
LeVar Burton on being inspired by Nichelle Nichols on Star Trek
00:42
LeVar Burton on the unique perspective shown in Roots - history as told by the African point of view
01:35
LeVar Burton on the impact of Roots
02:16

Vince Calandra

View Interview
Vince Calandra on getting African-American talent on The Ed Sullivan Show
03:24
Vince Calandra on Ed Sullivan's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and putting African-Americans on television
02:51

Reuben Cannon

View Interview
Reuben Cannon on how the business of casting has changed since he started
01:00

Diahann Carroll

View Interview
Diahann Carroll on performing in the feature film Carmen Jones
12:40
Diahann Carroll on her dramatic performance in Naked City, for which she was nominated for an Emmy; on her continued feelings about the lack of roles for Black people in Hollywood
04:41
Diahann Carroll on diversity in television
02:33

Marcy Carsey

View Interview
Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner on the Cosby spin-off A Different World and the awareness the program brought to black colleges
02:38

Thomas Carter

View Interview
Thomas Carter on the African-American cast of The White Shadow  and fan reaction to the show
02:23
Thomas Carter on addressing racial issues in the series Equal Justice
06:41
Thomas Carter on the portrayal of African-Americans on television in 2013
04:50
Thomas Carter on dealing with racism in his career
03:57

RuPaul Charles

View Interview
RuPaul Charles on the pressures of being black and gay during the run of The RuPaul Show and on RuPaul's Drag Race
02:06
RuPaul Charles on the legacy and message of RuPaul's Drag Race
01:37
RuPaul Charles on the contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race, and their courage and vulnerability
04:35
RuPaul Charles on his message as a performer
04:13

Margaret Cho

View Interview
Margaret Cho on Good Times being her favorite show
01:00
Margaret Cho on the challenge of getting roles on television when there were no parts for Asian Americans
01:32
Margaret Cho on how All-American Girl came about -- successful comedians got their own sitcoms in the '90s and she had a unique viewpoint as a young Asian American woman
02:49
Margaret Cho on the groundbreaking aspects of All-American Girl -- the first representation of a Korean American family on U.S. primetime television
03:10
Margaret Cho on Eddie Huang approaching her to discuss Fresh Off the Boat since she had previously navigated a show starring an Asian American family on U.S. primetime television, and on what had changed in the culture between the time of All-American Girl and Fresh Off the Boat
02:00
Margaret Cho on the legacy of All-American Girl
00:45
Margaret Cho on the progress television has made in Asian American representation in front of and behind the camera
01:09

Connie Chung

View Interview
Connie Chung on experiencing racism at work
02:00
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Chung as a trailblazer
01:04

Dick Clark

View Interview
Dick Clark on the diversity of American Bandstand
02:29

Nick Clooney

View Interview
Nick Clooney on hosting a teen dance show (The Nick Clooney School Salute) in Lexington, Kentucky and integrating the show
04:10

William Clotworthy

View Interview
William Clotworthy on working with Garrett Morris on Saturday Night Live
01:21

Paul Rodriguez with Emerson College

View Interview
Paul Rodriguez on the Mexican-American community's reaction to a.k.a. Pablo, and their objections to his act
05:31
Paul Rodriguez on being inspired by Richard Pryor to use his Mexican heritage and identity in his act, and on the language he uses in his act
05:32
Paul Rodriguez on the then-current state of his career, and on his relationship with the Mexican-American community
03:12
Paul Rodriguez on things he has had the opportunity to do in his career, and on the then-current state of Latinos in comedy
02:00

Dick Gregory with Emerson College

View Interview
Dick Gregory on racism in America
08:20

Carlos Mencia with Emerson College

View Interview
Carlos Mencia on doing Latino-based humor, and on listening to accents
04:07
Carlos Mencia on the controversy surrounding his use of the term "beaner"
02:03
Carlos Mencia on how different groups react to his act, and Mind of Mencia
05:43

Henry Colman

View Interview
Henry Colman on a scene of a black man dancing with a white woman on one of Matthew Rapf's shows and the network's decision to cut the scene
03:35

Ken Corday

View Interview
Ken Corday on minorities on Days of Our Lives
02:25

Ane Crabtree

View Interview
Ane Crabtree on how Gilead in The Handmaid's Tale is similar to present day, and how costumes similar to those she designed began to be worn at political protests
21:12
Ane Crabtree on how opportunities have changed since she started in the industry and on the importance on having multi-racial crews
07:40

Judy Crown

View Interview
Judy Crown on diversity in her field
04:22

Robert Culp

View Interview
Robert Culp on dealing with the racial aspect of I Spy
02:31

Ann Curry

View Interview
Ann Curry on aspiring to be a news anchor like Walter Cronkite early in her career, and how she navigated her ambitions with few available role models in broadcast journalism who were women or people of color
02:45

Ossie Davis

View Interview
Ossie Davis on how television aided in the Civil Rights Movement
03:39
Ossie Davis on how opportunities for African Americans in television have changed since he started his career
01:32

Ruby Dee

View Interview
Ruby Dee on her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement
15:07
Ruby Dee on her and husband Ossie Davis' involvement in the development of Roots
07:23
Ruby Dee on how TV's portrayal of minorities has changed
01:56

Sam Denoff

View Interview
Sam Denoff on specific episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show - "That's my Boy"
04:06

Phil Donahue

View Interview
Phil Donahue on interviewing boxer Joe Frazier and doing the show from Attica Street prison
07:31

Mike Douglas

View Interview
Mike Douglas on booking African-American acts for The Mike Douglas Show
03:03

Hugh Downs

View Interview
Hugh Downs on racial tensions and booking diverse guests on The Tonight Show
02:30

Hector Elizondo

View Interview
Hector Elizondo on Cane  representing a Latino family
00:57

Arthur Gardner

View Interview
Arthur Gardner on the depiction of Native Americans in television in the 1950's
01:25

Marla Gibbs

View Interview
Marla Gibbs on staying behind at the first table read of The Jeffersons to offer her opinions on naturalistic dialogue, among other points
01:56
Marla Gibbs on casting African-American actors on 227
02:53

Whoopi Goldberg

View Interview
Whoopi Goldberg on wanting to be in the Star Trek reboot, Star Trek: The Next Generation, because Star Trek was the first show to depict Black people in the future
04:19
Whoopi Goldberg on the HBO documentary she produced about Moms Mabley, Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley
09:28

Leonard H. Goldenson

View Interview
Leonard H. Goldenson on the impact of Roots
00:35

Louis Gossett, Jr.

View Interview
Louis Gossett, Jr. on appearing with James Garner in the feature film "Skin Game," and on appearing in socially-conscious projects
02:07
Louis Gossett, Jr. on the impact producer Norman Lear had on opportunities for African-American actors in television
00:24
Louis Gossett, Jr. on doing research to play "Fiddler" in Roots, and why the character was a breakthrough for him in terms of his acting process
04:06
Louis Gossett, Jr. on filming the "my name is Toby" scene in Roots, and on using the line "there's gonna be another day" (which he improvised) with Alex Haley's permission
03:06
Louis Gossett, Jr. on the legacy of Roots
03:12
Louis Gossett, Jr. on the role of the actor in society, and how the arts can help or harm
04:37
Louis Gossett, Jr. on being the second black actor to win an Oscar, and on what it meant to his career
04:18
Louis Gossett, Jr. on how things have changed for African-American actors since he started
01:17

Curt Gowdy

View Interview
Curt Gowdy on international broadcasters
01:35

Walter E. Grauman

View Interview
Director Walter Grauman on losing his Asian extras at 4 PM, while shooting the TV movie The Forgotten Man
01:26

Robert Guillaume

View Interview
Robert Guillaume on the difficulty of black actors getting on television
02:42
Robert Guillaume on his pursuit to be funny without being a buffoon or playing a part with "dignity" on Soap
03:16
Robert Guillaume on not emphasizing racial issues directly with his character "Benson" on Soap; but finding ways to make a statement his first television role on Julia
03:52
Robert Guillaume on audience response to his character "Benson" on Soap
01:49
Robert Guillaume on how the show Benson and the main character were categorized
04:59
Robert Guillaume on other African-American actors on television in the late 1970s and early 1980s
00:51
Robert Guillaume on multiculturalism 
01:19

Earle Hagen

View Interview
Earle Hagen on NBC initially not approving Bill Cosby to co-star in I Spy because it feared repercussions from Southern affiliates
02:02

Monty Hall

View Interview
Monty Hall on the diversity of Let's Make a Deal contestants
01:58

Donald Hall

View Interview
Donald Hall on Hallmark Hall of Fame's presentation of "Green Pastures"
03:13

Winifred Hervey

View Interview
Winifred Hervey on getting accepted to the Warner Bros. Writing Workshop
02:12
Winifred Hervey on becoming story editor for The New Odd Couple and rewriting original scripts from The Odd Couple to tailor them to African-American performers
01:19
Winifred Hervey on efforts made to diversify the writing staff of Benson  
00:20
Winifred Hervey on not loving to do "issues shows" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
02:59
Winifred Hervey on her biggest challenge in the business - being female and a minority
02:07
Winifred Hervey on the representation of African-Americans on television
01:51
Winifred Hervey on opportunities for women and minorities in writing
00:40

Arthur Hiller

View Interview
Arthur Hiller on the list of "don't dos" they had from the sponsors and the network on NBC Matinee Theater, and a near-controversy when he cast an African American actor as a doctor
01:41

Ellen Holly

View Interview
Ellen Holly on how typecasting boxes in actors, particularly African Americans
08:56
Ellen Holly on the difficulties faced by an African American actress who is considered "too light"
04:02
Ellen Holly on writing The New York Times article "How Black Do You Have to Be?" and on the reaction to it
06:55
Ellen Holly on guest-starring on Dr. Kildare, and on having to wear makeup to make her skin appear darker for the show
02:27
Ellen Holly on her groundbreaking early storyline on One Life to Live, where she was the first Black actress to play a central character on a daytime drama, and on working with the crew of the show and show creator Agnes Nixon
11:18
Ellen Holly on her difficulties renewing her One Life to Live contract after the first year
10:19
Ellen Holly on going to bat for One Life to Live producer Doris Quinlan
15:24
Ellen Holly on the fallout from her going to bat for One Life to Live producer Doris Quinlan
02:07
Ellen Holly on her difficulties playing opposite the actor who portrayed "Dr. Jack Scott" on One Life to Live, which led to her first exit from the show
07:47
Ellen Holly on her and Lillian Hayman being fired from One Life to Live by producer Paul Rauch
06:42
Ellen Holly on coming to a late realization about One Life to Live and about Agnes Nixon
07:03
Ellen Holly on finally learning why she was chosen to be on One Life to Live by producer Agnes Nixon and ABC executive Brandon Stoddard
06:47
Ellen Holly on having been the focus of the first year of One Life to Live, and on the producers' fears of it becoming a "black show"
05:47

James Hong

View Interview
James Hong on how little change he's seen in the types of roles offered Asian-Americans in his lifetime
02:04
James Hong on the cliched/novelty roles offered to Asian-American actors
00:30
Actor James Hong the criticisms of David Carradine's depiction of an Asian character on Kung Fu
01:58

Silvio Horta

View Interview
Silvio Horta on the Latino heritage and social class of Ugly Betty
02:59

Eddie Foy III

View Interview
Eddie Foy III on casting Julia
05:25

Gwen Ifill

View Interview
Gwen Ifill on knowing she wanted to be a journalist at age nine and seeing a role model in African-American journalist Melba Tolliver
01:21
Gwen Ifill on being the first female and first African-American to moderate Washington Week
01:38

Robert Johnson

View Interview
Robert Johnson on broadcast networks and the black community
01:37

Charles Floyd Johnson

View Interview
Charles Floyd Johnson on being the sole, or one of very few, associate producers of color when he accepted the job on The Rockford Files
00:22
Charles Floyd Johnson on how opportunities for African Americans have changed since he first started in the industry
03:18
Charles Floyd Johnson on addressing a racist comment made to him early in his career
02:46

Julie Ann Johnson

View Interview
Julie Ann Johnson on the changes she's trying to make in the stunt industry to improve safety, and also for minorities and women
11:12

Quincy Jones

View Interview
Quincy Jones on first working on Holllywood films
03:05
Quincy Jones on the impact of Roots
01:28

Robert Justman

View Interview
Robert Justman on the development of Star Trek: The Next Generation
00:30

Rocky Kalish

View Interview
Irma and Rocky Kalish on being white writers on an all-black show, Good Times; on how they adapted to their cast

Irma Kalish

View Interview
Irma and Rocky Kalish on being white writers on an all-black show, Good Times; on how they adapted to their cast

Hal Kanter

View Interview
Hal Kanter on creating Julia starring Diahann Carroll, the first series with an African-American female in a starring role
12:07

Asaad Kelada

View Interview
Asaad Kelada on challenges breaking into the TV industry
03:57

Ernest Kinoy

View Interview
Ernest Kinoy on The Defenders  episode "The Non-Violent" and the Civil Rights movement
01:24
Ernest Kinoy on the public reaction to Roots  and its impact on the Civil Rights movement
02:20
Ernest Kinoy on the legacy of Roots and Roots: The Next Generations
02:22

Eartha Kitt

View Interview
Eartha Kitt on being an African-American performer on television in the 1950s
07:30
 Eartha Kitt on dealing with racism in television
02:46

Mario Kreutzberger

View Interview
Mario Kreutzberger on working for the biggest minority in the US vs. representing a whole country in Chile; on how the content of Sabado Gigante "has to go with the needs of the community"
16:48

John Langley

View Interview
John Langley on working to reverse negative stereotyping of people of color as criminal suspects (and hitting their demo) on Cops, by going against the grain of actual percentages
02:12

Gene LeBell

View Interview
Gene LeBell on doing stunts for black actors
01:32

Norman Lear

View Interview
Norman Lear on what prompted him to create shows about upwardly mobile black families with Good Times and The Jeffersons
04:34

Sheldon Leonard

View Interview
Sheldon Leonard on the classic Dick Van Dyke Show episode "That's My Boy?"
02:13
Sheldon Leonard on casting Bill Cosby in I Spy
02:24

Loretta Long

View Interview
Loretta Long on the power of television, and on the impact that her character of "Susan" on Sesame Street has had on black television characters
01:31

Anita Mann

View Interview
Anita Mann on witnessing bigotry towards African-American dancers
04:10

Sonia Manzano

View Interview
Sonia Manzano on watching TV as a child and not seeing "herself" depicted in the media
01:48
Sonia Manzano on being cast on Sesame Street
04:13
Sonia Manzano on writing Sesame Street stories on cultural change
03:04
Sonia Manzano on the difficulty for an Hispanic actor to find non-stereotypical roles
01:13
Sonia Manzano on watching TV as a child and not seeing "herself" depicted in the media
01:48
Sonia Manzano on writing Sesame Street stories on cultural change
03:04

Ann Marcus

View Interview
Ann Marcus on her attempt to integrate the cast of Peyton Place
03:47
Ann Marcus on her attempt to integrate the cast of Peyton Place
02:03

Bob Markell

View Interview
Bob Markell on the pressure on Robert Hooks in the 1960's while working on N.Y.P.D.
01:24

Garry Marshall

View Interview
Garry Marshall on network censorship experienced writing the I Spy episode "No Exchange on Damaged Merchandise" (airdate: November 10, 1965)
02:04
Garry Marshall on The New Odd Couple, which used the original series' scripts with an African-American cast
03:03
Garry Marshall on the lack of African-American characters on Happy Days
01:11

Jerry Mathers

View Interview
Jerry Mathers on the classic Leave it to Beaver episode: "Beaver and Chuey" which featured minorities on television
00:47

S. Epatha Merkerson

View Interview
S. Epatha Merkerson on experiencing racism as a college student in Indiana
00:49
S. Epatha Merkerson on the excitement of seeing black people on television when she was young
01:42
S. Epatha Merkerson on wearing a wig to cover her natural hair when portraying her Law & Order character "Lt. Anita Van Buren"
02:57
S. Epatha Merkerson on whether opportunities for black women on television have changed over the years
02:26

Mitch Miller

View Interview
Mitch Miller on Leslie Uggams, who was a featured vocalist on Sing Along with Mitch
02:51

Newton N. Minow

View Interview
Newton Minow on an argument he had at public station WTTW in Chicago during the 1970 development of the first Black-produced television drama B irds of the Iron Feather, where Jesse Jackson and other Civil Rights leaders demanded an all-Black crew
02:22

John Moffitt

View Interview
John Moffitt on how The Ed Sullivan Show reflected the Civil Rights Movement
00:55

Ricardo Montalban

View Interview
Ricardo Montalban on the portrayal of Mexicans in film and television
04:09
Ricardo Montalban on Gene Lockhart's advice to him about maintaining an acting career
01:51
Ricardo Montalban on his Emmy-winning performance as an American Indian in How the West was Won
03:54
Ricardo Montalban on playing his characters with dignity
01:12
Ricardo Montalban on the founding of Nosotros
10:36

Leslie Moonves

View Interview
Leslie Moonves on the controversy over dividing the teams on the reality show Survivor by race
04:30

Rita Moreno

View Interview
Rita Moreno on appearing in The 20th Century-Fox Hour production of "Broken Arrow" and having to put on a Native American accent
01:39
Rita Moreno on breaking ground as a Latina actress
04:12
Rita Moreno on being a role model for latino actors and actresses
03:06

Donald A. Morgan

View Interview
Donald A. Morgan on lighting different skin tones for television in the 1970s
04:12
Donald A. Morgan on his work on Benson and on lighting Robert Guillaume properly
04:31
Donald A. Morgan on his work as director of photography on the initial episodes of the Netflix series The Upshaws -- requesting changes to the set and lighting different skin tones of cast members
03:52
Donald A. Morgan on how cinematography for television has changed since he first started in the business -- becoming more diverse
00:39

Pat Morita

View Interview
Pat Morita on racism in the television industry
04:48

Garrett Morris

View Interview
Garrett Morris on being the only black cast member on Saturday Night Live and other shows
06:38
Garrett Morris on the representation of minorities on cable TV versus network TV
05:13

Michael Moye

View Interview
Michael Moye on the not-so-diverse writing staff of Good Times
05:24
Michael Moye on whether or not he experienced racism in the television industry
02:03
Michael Moye on hiring diverse writers
01:56
Michael Moye on some people seeing racism where he does not
04:07

Nichelle Nichols

View Interview
Nichelle Nichols on how African-Americans were portrayed on television while she was growing up
02:27
Nichelle Nichols on almost leaving Star Trek, and then staying at the behest of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
11:38
Nichelle Nichols on Gene Roddenberry coming up with the idea for Star Trek, and wanting a diverse cast
11:09
Nichelle Nichols on meeting Coretta Scott King, and discussing Star Trek with her
07:47
Nichelle Nichols on Gene Roddenberry making Star Trek a breakthrough for diversity on television
04:58
Nichelle Nichols on the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" in which she shared television's first interracial kiss with "Captain Kirk" (William Shatner)
15:59
Nichelle Nichols on how things have changed for African-American actors since she began her career
01:21
Nichelle Nichols on fan reaction to the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" in which she shared television's first interracial kiss with "Captain Kirk"
03:12

Leonard Nimoy

View Interview
Leonard Nimoy on his penchant for playing ethnic roles in his early TV career
01:05
Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek producer Gene Roddenberry's description of "Spock" and the concern that "Spock's" initial skin coloring of red might read black on black and white TV sets
00:57

Agnes Nixon

View Interview
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
06:26

Soledad O'Brien

View Interview
Soledad O'Brien on the state of journalism in the 1990s, women she worked with at KRON, and whether or not she faced bias and discrimination at that time
04:26
Soledad O'Brien on Jesse Jackson's comments to her after Black in America: "Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination" aired
02:38
Soledad O'Brien on penning "A MeToo Moment for Journalists of Color" for The New York Times in July 2020
04:42

Carroll O'Connor

View Interview
Carroll O'Connor on receiving accommodation from the NAACP for casting African-American actors on In the Heat of the Night
01:42

Edward James Olmos

View Interview
Edward James Olmos on the future of Latinos on television
02:45
Edward James Olmos on the ongoing lack of diversity on television and in movies
03:36

Bernie Orenstein

View Interview
Bernie Orenstein on lectures he gives on the influence of African Americans in television
02:09

Roscoe Orman

View Interview
Roscoe Orman on his awareness of the lack of diversity on television during his childhood
01:19
Roscoe Orman on "Gordon's" relationship with "Susan" on Sesame Street
02:26

Timothy Van Patten

View Interview
Timothy Van Patten on diversity on The White Shadow
00:56

Dick Van Patten

View Interview
Dick Van Patten on issues Eight is Enough dealt with throughout the series
00:23

Bill Persky

View Interview
Bill Persky on how he and partner San Denoff came to write for The Dick Van Dyke Show, on on writing the classic episode "That's My Boy??" with Sheldon Leonard
05:05

Maury Povich

View Interview
Maury Povich on co-anchoring news in Los Angeles with future wife Connie Chung; on her start at CBS
02:42
Connie Chung and Maury Povich on Chung as a trailblazer
01:04

David Pressman

View Interview
Director David Pressman on some of the social issues covered on One Live to Live
03:22

Jorge Ramos

View Interview
Jorge Ramos on interviewing President Obama and pressing him on immigration reform
03:23
Jorge Ramos on Univision covering presidential politics and its importance to the Latino community
02:31
Jorge Ramos on hosting an English-language show for Fusion
03:30
Jorge Ramos on what he hopes to achieve with his influence 
02:03
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on what separates Univision from other news gathering organizations 
06:30
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on issues that are important to them personally 
03:54
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on Univision's role in the 2008, 2012 and then-upcoming 2016 elections 
05:43
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the emergence of Latino candidates in presidential elections
01:55
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on changes they've seen in television journalism and Spanish news
03:45
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the then-future of Spanish-language news and Latino journalists
04:26
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on dream projects or goals in the then-future
03:30

Phylicia Rashad

View Interview
Phylicia Rashad on her role as "Courtney Wright" on One Life to Live in the early 1980s, and how character Asa Buchanan (played by Philip Carey) appeared to have been married at some point to every character but her's
01:35
Phylicia Rashad on how The Cosby Show reflected reality
01:19

Marian Rees

View Interview
Marian Rees on producing The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
08:22
Marian Rees on executive producing Ruby Bridges
14:48
Marian Rees on the African-American crew on Ruby Bridges  and gaining Ruby Bridges' trust
06:16
Marian Rees on the Norman Rockwell painting on which Ruby Bridges  was based and recreating it
07:25
Marian Rees on public reaction and the educational benefits of Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection's "Almost a Woman"
14:48

Tim Reid

View Interview
Tim Reid on working with Richard Pryor on The Richard Pryor Show
04:05
Tim Reid on being told he wasn't "Black enough" in his portrayal of a character
01:20
Tim Reid on the impact of WKRP in Cincinnati; on writing the episode "A Family Affair" which dealt with race
06:09
Tim Reid on the representation of a Black couple on Snoops and fighting for the representation he wanted
01:22
Tim Reid on dealing with serious subjects on "The Bridge" and the "Frank Joins the Club" episodes of Frank's Place
04:21
Tim Reid on pitching Frank's Place with Hugh Wilson and doing research for the show; on the quality of the show
01:12
Tim Reid on launching LGCYTV.com, a streaming service designed by and for the African diaspora, during the COVID-19 pandemic and on fostering young talent
07:32
Tim Reid on how opportunities in the television industry have changed since he first started in the business
04:55

Gene Reynolds

View Interview
Gene Reynolds on how African-Americans were depicted on Room 222
02:36

John Rich

View Interview
John Rich on casting Mike Evans as "Lionel Jefferson" on All in the Family
06:42
John Rich on Sammy Davis Jr.'s suggestion, as a guest on The Tonight Show, that he would make a funny guest star on All in the Family (leading to his appearance on the classic episode "Sammy's Visit")
01:04

Hank Rieger

View Interview
Hank Rieger on publicity for NBC shows with African-Americans lead actors
02:58
Hank Rieger on NBC's African-American executives when he worked with the network
00:31
Hank Rieger on NBC's African-American executives when he worked with the network
00:31

Fatima Robinson

View Interview
Fatima Robinson on choreographing the "Juneteenth" and "Purple Rain" episodes of Black-ish
02:44

Al Roker

View Interview
Al Roker on being one of the only African-Americans on camera in the Syracuse area when he was in college
02:05

Meta Rosenberg

View Interview
Meta Rosenberg on developing the series Julia starring Diahann Carroll
03:57

Aaron Ruben

View Interview
Aaron Ruben on why "Gomer Pyle" didn't go to Vietnam and why there were no African-American's in Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show
02:07
Aaron Ruben on developing, casting, and producing Sanford & Son
19:38

Maria Elena Salinas

View Interview
Maria Elena Salinas on how identifying with two cultures informed her news reporting
00:59
Maria Elena Salinas on the state of Hispanic news when she started
03:38
Maria Elena Salinas on appealing to different aspects of the Latino community
Maria Elena Salinas on interviewing then-governor Pete Wilson about his stance on immigration issues for California 
02:30
Maria Elena Salinas on covering immigration and doing advocacy journalism 
03:37
Maria Elena Salinas on being called "the most recognized and trusted Hispanic newswomen in America"
01:50
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on what separates Univision from other news gathering organizations
06:30
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on issues that are important to them personally
03:54
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on Univision's role in the 2008, 2012 and then-upcoming 2016 elections
05:43
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the emergence of Latino candidates in presidential elections
01:55
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on changes they've seen in television journalism and Spanish news
03:45
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on the then-future of Spanish-language news and Latino journalists
04:26
Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas on dream projects or goals in the then-future
03:30

Jay Sandrich

View Interview
Jay Sandrich on the thrill of having the number one show in American be about an African American family (The Cosby Show)
01:44

Isabel Sanford

View Interview
Isabel Sanford on The Jeffersons legacy within the African-American community
02:26

Joseph Sargent

View Interview
Joseph Sargent on casting black extras on Gunsmoke
01:37

Edgar J. Scherick

View Interview
Edgar Scherick on producing the ABC Weekend Special TV movie "Tales of the Nunundaga"
00:55

Bob Schiller

View Interview
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on racial issues on Maude
01:25

Herbert S. Schlosser

View Interview
Herbert S. Schlosser on his role in getting more African-Americans on television with shows like I Spy and Julia
02:51
Herbert S. Schlosser on programming Julia, and on African-American representation on television
03:16

Robert Schuller

View Interview
Robert Schuller on dealing with Civil Rights and racism on Hour of Power
04:01

Richard Shapiro

View Interview
Richard and Esther Shapiro on writing the made-for-TV movie Minstrel Man
07:04

Esther Shapiro

View Interview
Richard and Esther Shapiro on writing the made-for-TV movie Minstrel Man
07:04

Mel Shavelson

View Interview
Mel Shavelson on being part of a minstrel show in high school and on racial breakthroughs in television
04:27

Nina Shaw

View Interview
Nina Shaw on how excited she and other family members would be during her childhood when a Black person would be on television -- memories of seeing Leslie Uggams on Sing Along with Mitch and of Cicely Tyson on East Side/West Side
01:06
Nina Shaw on Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin bringing more Black characters to television and on the number of women who worked for Tandem
01:01
Nina Shaw on negotiating talent deals in the 1970s and '80s and how race and gender affected salaries
01:03
NIna Shaw on female directors often "having to get the one shot to screw up"
02:47

Jack Shea

View Interview
Jack Shea on diversity on television during the era of Sanford and Son
00:53
Jack Shea on diversity within the DGA
01:01

Abby Singer

View Interview
Abby Singer on dealing with Affirmative action as a production manager
01:16

John Singleton

View Interview
John Singleton on The Arsenio Hall Show being the only variety show that would put on hip hop and R&B artists at that time
00:32
John Singleton on directing Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time" music video, and his vision for putting Michael Jackson with "a whole bunch of black people"
03:48
John Singleton on how opportunities for African Americans in entertainment have changed over the course of his career
00:38

Gary Smith

View Interview
Gary Smith on working with Sammy Davis, Jr. and on working with African-American performers
10:14

Dick Smothers

View Interview
Tom and Dick Smothers on their dealings with CBS, their firing, and their thoughts about the larger political issues which may have contributed to the demise of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
17:37

Tom Smothers

View Interview
Tom and Dick Smothers on their dealings with CBS, their firing, and their thoughts about the larger political issues which may have contributed to the demise of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
17:37

Lynn Stalmaster

View Interview
Lynn Stalmaster on how diversity in casting changed during his career
01:52

Nick Stewart

View Interview
Nick Stewart on performing for both black and white audiences on the Vaudeville circuit
02:54
Nick Stewart on black performers and the type of comedy they practiced
02:24
Nick Stewart on the NAACP protests of Amos 'N' Andy
02:45
Nick Stewart on the end of Amos 'N' Andy  due to protests from the NAACP (Part 2)
05:16
Nick Stewart on how race relations affected the television industry
03:43
Nick Stewart on the then-current state of African-Americans on television 
05:56

George Takei

View Interview
George Takei on the dearth of Asian people in the entertainment industry early in his career
01:33
George Takei on Gene Roddenberry envisioning diversity as the strength of the Star Trek crew
01:47
George Takei on being an Asian-American actor
04:24
George Takei on being an Asian-American actor
04:24

William Tankersley

View Interview
William Tankersley on how CBS Program Practices handled Civil Rights storylines on TV shows in the 1950s
02:04

Studs Terkel

View Interview
Studs Terkel on the subject matter of episodes of Studs' Place, including a guest appearance by Mahalia Jackson
01:48

Tony Thomas

View Interview
Tony Thomas on the black community's reaction to Benson and its cancellation
01:15

Grant Tinker

View Interview
Grant Tinker on diversity on television in the 1960s
01:51
Grant Tinker on the lack of diversity in television
00:42

Leslie Uggams

View Interview
Leslie Uggams on appearing on The Paul Whiteman TV Teen Club as a child and not being allowed to win a car on the show because an African American boy had already won one on the show
01:26
Leslie Uggams on getting recognized on the street after appearing on Sing Along with Mitch and the extra pressure she felt as an African American woman in the spotlight
01:01
Leslie Uggams on the pushback from the network to her being on Sing Along with Mitch because she was African American and how Mitch Miller stood up for her
01:32
Leslie Uggams on discrimination she faced early in her career and barriers she broke down by appearing on Sing Along with Mitch
02:14
Leslie Uggams on the role television played in the Civil Rights Movement
01:05
Leslie Uggams on how The Leslie Uggams Show came about and her efforts to have a diverse crew and writing staff
02:24
Leslie Uggams on the success of Roots and what it taught Americans about their own history
01:30

James Wall

View Interview
James Wall on initially being turned down by CBS when he applied for a stage manager position at the network
04:53
James Wall on advocating for Black representation on Captain Kangaroo when he was working as a stage manager on the show, and how that led to him being hired as "Mr. Baxter" (after an audition)
03:10

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

View Interview
Malcolm-Jamal Warner on what he believes The Cosby Show  was trying to achieve
01:48
Malcolm-Jamal Warner on black culture on The Cosby Show
00:58
Malcolm-Jamal Warner on how the portrayal of Black Americans has changed since he started acting
02:28

Keenen Ivory Wayans

View Interview
Keenen Ivory Wayans on battling racism with humor at a young age
01:46
Keenen Ivory Wayans on how he handled hot-button issues on In Living Color with his writing staff; on writing about the riots between the Black and Jewish communities in Brooklyn in a takeoff on "West Side Story"
01:34
Keenen Ivory Wayans on an In Living Color sketch about Black men being an endangered species and on dealing with censorship at the network
02:13
Keenen Ivory Wayans on how the portrayal of African Americans has changed on TV

Bob Weiskopf

View Interview
Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf on racial issues on Maude
01:25

Tom Werner

View Interview
Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner on the Cosby spin-off A Different World and the awareness the program brought to black colleges
02:38

Susan Whiting

View Interview
Susan Whiting on diversity in Nielsen samples
02:21

Joseph M. Wilcots

View Interview
Joseph M. Wilcots on the cinematographers union not being quick to welcome Black members
06:05
Joseph M. Wilcots on being the first African-American in the camera operators union
05:56
Joseph M. Wilcots on how things have changed for Black cinematographers during his career
00:42
Joseph M. Wilcots on becoming the first Black member of the cinematographers union
04:09

Larry Wilmore

View Interview
Larry Wilmore on the writers of The PJs, and on the diversity of the writing staff
03:42
Larry Wilmore on changes he's seen in for African Americans in television
01:55

Ethel Winant

View Interview
Ethel Winant on dealing with the network on casting blacklisted actors and minorities on television in the '50s
02:08
Ethel Winant on difficulties she encountered in casting minority actors for shows like Playhouse 90 and The United States Steel Hour's production of "Doomsday at Noon"
04:51

David L. Wolper

View Interview
David L. Wolper on producing Roots
28:39

Leo Yoshimura

View Interview
Leo Yoshimura on the persistent lack of representation of Asian Americans on television
03:57
Leo Yoshimura on playing "Sulu" in several Star Trek parodies on Saturday Night Live over the years, and on lack of representation of Japanese people on television
06:08

All Topics