Lights. Camera. Creating more opportunities in Hollywood for HBCU students
Stacy Milner remembers having to explain the acronym to her peers.
The longtime entertainment industry professional was discussing helping students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) break into her field about eight years ago. However, several of Milner’s colleagues weren’t familiar with the term “HBCU.”
Milner wasn’t surprised. After all, she broke into the industry a few decades ago as an executive assistant to the chairmen of NBC and Paramount. She saw how a lack of diversity on the C-suite level in Hollywood trickled down to other roles within the business, from acting and directing to working in public relations. She saw “Band-Aid programs” offering temporary diversity, equity and inclusion fixes.