Diversity Digest: Recapping Q2 Multicultural Efforts

Welcome to another edition of the WBD Diversity Digest. In this edition, we highlight key multicultural initiatives that took place during the second quarter of 2024.

Celebrating Juneteenth

June 19th marked Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States that recognizes the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in the United States in 1865 and serves as a reminder of the resilience of the Black community and the ongoing journey toward equality and justice. To commemorate the day, CNN proudly aired (and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network simulcasted) “Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom and Legacy.” This third annual, star-studded night celebrated freedom, advancement, and the trailblazers who led the way through musical performances and conversations. CNN’s Victor Blackwell, anchor of “First of All with Victor Blackwell,” hosted, and the show featured guests including John Legend, Patti LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, and ‘the Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ Ms. Opal Lee.

Some of WBD’s other networks also hosted content marathons and special programming to celebrate Juneteenth. TCM presented “Soulful Journeys,” hosted by Questlove and TCM host Jacqueline Stewart, which took place on June 19th. It featured a night of films from the 1970s that uplifted the multiplicities of Black American life as presented onscreen roughly 100 years following emancipation. TBS hosted a movie marathon on Juneteenth, airing movies such as “Creed 2” and “Black Panther,” as did TNT with movies such as “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “King Richard.” And Adult Swim aired a marathon of “Boondocks.”

WBD’s BOLD (Black Outstanding Leaders Delivering) Business Resource Group hosted or participated in Juneteenth events across Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City, and Knoxville. In Los Angeles and Atlanta, BOLD hosted vendor markets for employees with vendors, food trucks, and entertainment. In New York City, BOLD partnered with Warner Music Group’s Kinfolk Employee Resource Group to host a networking event celebrating both Juneteenth and Black Music Month. And in Knoxville, BOLD encouraged employees and their families to participate in the annual MLK March/Parade & Juneteenth Celebration.

Uplifting Diverse Talent on WBD’s US Nets

WBD’s US Networks premiered new and returning series featuring diverse casts during the second quarter, including:

TLC brought back “7 Little Johnstons” for a 14th season, which was marked by the beginning of some major new chapters for the Johnston family, the largest known family of little people in the world. TLC also debuted the 5th season of “Doubling Down with the Derricos,” which chronicled life with 14 children (including four sets of multiples) as parents Deon and Karen entered a new and challenging phase of parenthood.

HGTV premiered various shows including the 5th season of “100 Day Dream Home,” 4th season of “Battle on the Beach,” 3rd season of “Farmhouse Fixer” as well as spinoff “Farmhouse Fixer: Camp Revamp,” and 5th season of “Ugliest House in America.”

TCM recognized key veterans’ anniversaries with related programming. On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, TCM aired 12 movies about D-Day. To honor Memorial Day weekend, TCM aired a four-day marathon of military and war movies.

Championing Diversity in Sports

During the second quarter, TNT Sports launched a new student initiative called Conectando Campeones. Conectando Campeones is a fellowship that seeks to increase Latino representation in sports and provide an opportunity to a bilingual (Spanish/English) student or early career professional. The selected fellow for its inaugural edition is Scarlling Manzanarez, a student at the University of Florida who leads content creation for one of the University’s sports social accounts. Manzanarez joined B/R Walk-Off and House of Highlights onsite at the 2024 MLB All-Star Week in mid-July to cover the event and create social content for TNT Sports’ social channels.

In June’s matchup between the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team and five-time world champion Brazil during the second edition of the Allstate Continental Clásico, TNT Sports created a cross-cultural game teaser. Featuring a Brazilian band, playing a famous Brazilian song that is an ode to the sport, and including English hip hop lyrics, the teaser endeavored to find a fun way to fuse both cultures ahead of the highly anticipated exhibition match.

Partnering with WBD’s Supply Chain to Bolster Diversity

WBD’s Procurement team launched an exciting new tool in their Supplier Diversity toolbox this past quarter. Starting in April, a minimum of one diverse supplier will be included in every competitive sourcing event (e.g., request for proposal, request for quote) with an estimated award value equal or greater to $1M USD annually. This policy will help deliver on the WBD Supplier Diversity program’s goal to promote, increase, and improve the participation of diverse businesses within our organizational supply chain.

WBD’s dedicated Client Partnerships and Inclusion Solutions team marked their one-year anniversary during the second quarter and continue to be uniquely positioned to provide Ad Sales clients custom solutions that resonate with multicultural audiences. Housed within the Ad Sales organization and led by Sheereen Russell, EVP of Client Partnerships & Inclusion Solutions, the group pairs marketers with impactful opportunities across WBD’s portfolio of diverse voices, faces, creators, and stories to reach multicultural consumers.

Hitting the Festival Circuit

WBD participated in diverse film festivals across the U.S. and around the world over the past few months. In June, WBD and HBO served as the Founding Sponsors of the American Black Film Festival in Miami, where they held the 27th Annual Short Film Award Showcase on Opening Night. For the first time in festival history, the five final shorts were all directed by Black women. Additional highlights included an intimate conversation with the cast of Warner Bros. Television (WBTV)’s "All American" and "All American: Homecoming," and a compelling WBD Access Director’s Craft Masterclass with filmmaker and director Rashaad Ernesto Green.

WBD also sponsored the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in June and hosted a panel with actor Nik Dodani and WBTV Director Workshop alum Geeta Malik; the TransLations Film Festival in June in Seattle where WBD Access hosted a fireside chat with a WBD Access alum and information session about their slate of pipeline programs; and the Rio2C Festival in June in Brazil where WBD Access participated in a panel focused on diversity and the impact of pipeline programs.

Events with Impact

In addition to festivals, WBD held and participated in various other events to celebrate diverse voices. In April, WBD Access partnered with the MENA Arts Advocacy Council to bring 50+ MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) creatives to the WBD Burbank office for a full day of development workshops and executive panels. Arian Moayed from HBO’s “Succession” was the opening keynote speaker. In May, WBD Access supported and attended the annual Sundance Indigenous Lab, a week-long program that took place in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was designed to empower and elevate Indigenous voices in the world of cinema. In June, WBD participated in the AME Institute Burbank, the largest professional learning event of the year for arts, media, and entertainment educators, hosting a panel highlighting WBD’s various creative pathway programs. Also in June, WBD Access supported NALIP’s 25th Anniversary Media Summit, during which Warner Bros. Pictures’ Carlos Salcines, VP of Multicultural Marketing, was a featured speaker.

In June, Max kicked off a Black Music Month campaign, which included a special one-day immersive event in New York City in partnership with Spotify called Shaped by Sound. The event included themed rooms, curated DJ sets, and performances to highlight the influence of Black music on our culture and innovation.