Diversity Digest: WBD Celebrates Black History Month
WBD Celebrates Black History Month
Welcome to another edition of the WBD Diversity Digest. In this edition, we look back at and shine a light on content, events, and initiatives across the WBD portfolio that took place during Black History Month. We remain committed to one of our guiding principles of Championing Inclusion and Black History Month provides us with a unique opportunity to amplify the achievements of those who have come before us and the emerging talent who we are proud to support.
Building Blocks of Black Content
WBD’s US Networks featured programming stacks highlighting Black talent and stories throughout Black History Month, including:
 | Adult Swim aired special programming celebrating the work of Black creators, writers, and talent including series such as “The Boondocks,” “Tuca and Bertie,” and “The Eric Andre Show.” |
 | Food Network aired encore stacks of select episodes of “Delicious Miss Brown” with chef Kardea Brown during select daytime slots and episodes of “Chopped” during primetime, including a special Black History Month celebration episode. |
 | HGTV aired encore stacks of “Battle on the Mountain” into the premiere on February 19 featuring talent including Kim Myles, Egypt Sherrod, Mike Jackson, and Page Turner as well as a “Married to Real Estate” encore stack into the premiere on February 15 that featured a renovation of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Clark Atlanta University. |
 | TBS aired a Black History Month movie marathon including “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “King Richard,” and “Black Panther” as well as the second episode of “Friday Night Vibes” with new hosts Nina Parker and Kevin Fredericks that featured the films “Ride Along 2” and “21 Bridges.” |
 | TNT aired a Black History Month movie marathon including “Malcolm X,” “Pride,” and “American Gangster” as well as the Third Annual Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, an HBCU men’s basketball showcase. |
 | TCM aired a Black History Month weekend marathon including the TCM premieres of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” (1982) (Ruby Dee version) and “Cornbread, Earl and Me” (1975) as well as titles including “Imitation of Life” (1934), “The Jackie Robinson Story” (1950), and “A Raisin in the Sun” (1961). |
Highlighting HBCU Sports
During Black History Month, TNT Sports televised the aforementioned Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, a celebration of HBCUs that highlights the game of basketball and culture.
The event spotlighted four HBCU men’s college basketball teams – Grambling State University vs. Jackson State University and Hampton University vs. Howard University. The Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic featured an immersive day, highlighting the HBCU experience on and off the court. TNT Sports also brought on an HBCU remote crew to help with the event’s production.
Now in its third year, the Legacy Classic was created by actor, producer, and Newark native Michael B. Jordan, WME Sports (the sports division of WME, an Endeavor company), Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, and Scout Sports and Entertainment, a division of Horizon Media and TNT Sports.
TNT Sports' Bleacher Report, the #1 digital destination for young sports fans, also aired a video essay with Anson Carter, host of “NHL on TNT,” on Black players in the NHL and an immersive video that took fans through a museum-like experience to explore Black history in sports.
Showcasing Black History and Black Joy
CNN has robust year-round programming that consistently represents Black history and regularly covers stories important to the Black community and communities of color. This programming is led by iconic, authentic, and diverse anchors with unparalleled skills and a trusted connection with viewers including Abby Phillip, Laura Coates, Gayle King, Charles Barkley, Sara Sidner, Rahel Solomon, Victor Blackwell, Fredricka Whitfield, and more.
During Black History Month, CNN’s Race and Equality beat doubled down and featured stories showcasing Black history and Black joy, including:
A feature on the fight to preserve the legacy of the Rosenwald schools
A piece from Athena Jones about what DEI really means in education
A look at the legacy of the first Black Generals in the US Army
On Max, through the News Beta or CNN Max Hub, CNN featured a collection of content reflecting Black stories and culture including the Grammy-nominated CNN Films and Max Original “Little Richard: I Am Everything” and the CNN Original Series “See It Loud: The History of Black Television” from executive producers Lebron James and Maverick Carter’s Emmy® Award-winning studio The SpringHill Company.
Making Connections & Elevating Conversations
WBD celebrated Black History Month within the Company all month long, with employee events, activations, and spotlights.
The DEI North America team curated a series of conversations for employees, starting with a fireside chat between Jamal Crawford, a TNT Sports Studio Analyst, and Liussa Collins, WBD's GVP, DEI North America, at our Atlanta office. During the conversation, Crawford spoke about his 20-season career in the NBA and pivot to his role as a sports analyst, sharing lessons learned along the way. The second in the series was an executive roundtable discussion in our New York office with four employee panelists (Steven Flenory, Vice President, Platform Technology, Jhneall Gardner, VP, Talent Acquisition, Loretta Boatey, WOW (Women of Warner) BRG Co-Chair, and Garrison Wilson, ASCEND BRG Co-Chair) speaking about navigating the corporate environment while upholding their personal brands. Lastly, DEI hosted an Inclusive Conversation at our Ivy Station office in the Los Angeles area featuring leaders within and outside of WBD discussing their insights on multicultural community engagement. Panel participants included Myles Worthington (Founder & CEO, WORTHI), Corey Stokes (SVP, Creative, Essence Ventures), and Brittany Rodgers (Director, Multicultural Communications & Publicity, Warner Bros. Television Group), and it was moderated by Naomi Manning (Senior Manager, Film & TV Marketing, Warner Bros. Discovery).
In addition to conversations, WBD's Wellbeing & Engagement team partnered with the BOLD (Black Outstanding Leaders Delivering) BRG and Black-owned wellness company Black Om to host a four-part “Wellness Wednesday” meditation series for employees throughout the month of February. And WBD’s Diversity Outreach and Employer Branding teams partnered together on a 5-week social media and talent community campaign. The campaign recognized Black History Month and engaged with employees and our talent network by recognizing the efforts of Black employees at WBD who have contributed to iconic and innovative content, projects, and products. See a sample of those spotlights here and here.
Showing Up and Showing Out
Throughout February, WBD curated and participated in various events to recognize Black History Month. Warner Bros. Television Group hosted a mix-and-mingle event in partnership with The Blackhouse Foundation at Black-owned restaurant Joyce Soul and Sea, which brought together talent including cast members from WBTV’s “Abbott Elementary,” “Found,” “Bob Hearts Abishola,” and “Shrinking,” as well as African American press and others. OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network also presented a screening and panel discussion of “Justice, USA” at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival in Los Angeles. And WBD’s DEI team participated in the REACH LA Gala, honoring achievements at the intersection of the queer and BIPOC communities and where WBD’s BOLD and Pride BRGs joined the event to present choreographer Jaquel Knight with the Legendary Artistic Impact Award.