WBD Diversity Digest Highlights Q4 Efforts

Photo of WBD Diversity Digest Highlights Q4 Efforts

Happy New Year and welcome to another edition of the WBD Diversity Digest! In this edition, we will spotlight key Q4 2023 multicultural programming, events, and initiatives across the WBD portfolio. This month, we also celebrate the life and leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose words and actions still profoundly impact our nation and remind us to continue the work toward greater unity, equity, and inclusion.

WBD Goes Purple

On December 25, WB Pictures' "The Color Purple" debuted in theaters as the largest Christmas Day opening since 2009! This bold new take on the beloved classic invites audiences to experience the inspiring portrayal of the bonds of sisterhood and the triumph of the human spirit. The film features an ensemble cast of acclaimed talent showcasing soul-stirring performances led by Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., and Halle Bailey, was directed by Blitz Bazawule, and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones. WBD celebrated this cultural touchstone throughout Q4 and much of 2023, including:

  • Participating in over 75 conferences, events, and festivals, including the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, the American Black Film Festival, Woman Evolve 23, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference (participated in 6 separate events surrounding the Conference, including the Foundation's Phoenix Awards Dinner), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc's National Convention, National Urban League Conference, NAACP National Convention, Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, AdColor, Black Excellence Brunch, and AfroTech.
  • Launching WB's most robust advanced buyout and group sales campaign ever, engaging hundreds of groups to preview and become ambassadors for the movie.
  • Hosting an Oprah Town Hall Call on December 20, serving as a culmination of the leader, organization, and community engagement that was the backbone of the film campaign with over 71,000 supporters joining!
  • Engaging younger Black audiences with various HBCU activations including: participation in HBCU Homecomings and in the Reel HBCU Film Festival, providing a dedicated screening program across 10 HBCU campuses, and creating an HBCU Performance Showcase with 15 HBCU university bands, dance teams and gospel choirs. HBCU Supercut on Watch the Yard; HBCU Supercut and Gospel choir video #1 and video #2 on The Shade Room. An additional HBCU Homecoming layer included thematic coronation ceremonies, where kings and queens were gifted a trip to the premiere. See here for social posts from this experience.
  • Hosting premiere screenings in Los Angeles, London, New York City, and Washington, D.C. We also partnered with Starbucks to host a special screening and panel discussion for The Loveland Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to destigmatize mental health counseling and provide access to therapists for Black women and girls. The panel was moderated by CNN LA correspondent Stephanie Elam and featured film director Blitz Bazawule, lead actress Fantasia Barrino, composer Kris Bowers, and choreographer Fatima Robinson.
  • Holding employee screenings and celebrations across our global offices in partnership with our BOLD (Black Outstanding Leaders Delivering) Business Resource Group.

 

Barbie (and Ken) More Accessible for Everyone

WB Pictures' hit blockbuster film, "Barbie," made its streaming debut on Max on December 15. Accompanying the traditional film, WBD was also proud to launch "Barbie with ASL," interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL). Grounded in research and feedback from the Deaf community, as well as counsel from community leaders, "Barbie with ASL" was produced for Max featuring ASL performer Leila Hanaumi. To celebrate "Barbie with ASL" coming to the platform, Max also hosted a special community screening on December 14 in Los Angeles in collaboration with Deaf West Theater and RespectAbility, where "Barbie" star Margot Robbie joined Leila Hanaumi on stage for a post-screening conversation for hundreds of community members and "Barbie" fans.

 

Teaching "The Art of Drag"

During Miami's annual arts fair, Art Basel, in December, Max hosted "The Art of Drag" Pop-Up Truck Tour. Powered by Max's Human By Orientation, the app's audience initiative designed to elevate and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, the truck visited two iconic drag performance venues in Miami Beach and Wynwood, embedding itself into Miami's busy fair weekend programming. The stops included dozens of free drag makeovers for attendees during scheduled drag brunches, pop-up performances, product giveaways, and other surprises. "The Art of Drag" Pop-Up Truck Tour was inspired by iconic drag programming on Max - including the popular Emmy®, Peabody, and GLAAD award-winning HBO Original unscripted series "We're Here" and the star-studded discovery+ Original renovation show "Trixie Motel."

 

CNN Tackles Gender Inequality at COP28

CNN's global gender inequality reporting team, As Equals, and CNN Photos collaborated on an initiative to showcase during COP28 (2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference) the connection between climate change-fueled extreme weather events and gender inequality. Based on research suggesting that women and girls are more negatively affected by climate change than men, CNN set out to highlight the human stories of resilience and determination behind these statistics. Photos taken across seven countries in the Global South were displayed during the COP28 conference in Dubai at the end of 2023 to catalyze important conversations. Accompanying the photo exhibition, CNN's As Equals also hosted an event during the conference that featured climate activists and leaders. To further explore the connection between gender and climate, CNN produced TV packages that aired on CNN International's "Connect the World" news program.

 

Celebrating Cultural Milestones

November marked Native American Heritage Month and Transgender Awareness Week, which took place November 13 – 19. WBD celebrated these cultural milestones with events to educate, inform, and inspire employees. For Native American Heritage Month, WBD's DEI North America team, IndigeNext Business Resource Group, and The WICT Network hosted a conversation entitled "Leadership Through an Indigenous Lens" featuring Princess Daazhraii Johnson, Emmy®-Nominated Writer, Producer & Director, Dr. Melanie Goodchild, Academic Director of Waakaa'Igan, Algoma University, and Judith Leblanc, Citizen of the Caddo Nation & Executive Director, Native Organizers Alliance. During the event, the participants discussed their personal journeys and how they have been inspired by their heritage and culture.

For Transgender Awareness Week, WBD re-introduced the Company's Global Gender-Affirming Guidelines and Toolkits and the DEI team hosted workshops on Trans Inclusion in the Workplace with myGwork as well as an "Inclusive Conversation" event featuring TransLatin@ Coalition President and CEO Bamby Salcedo and Journalist and Author Tre'vell Anderson. The "Inclusive Conversation" focused on amplifying allyship towards the Transgender and Non-Binary communities.

 

DEI BRG Relaunch

WBD's Business Resource Groups (BRGs) were re-launched in 2023 and the Company now has 16 BRGs with 6,300 employee members globally across our Asian Pacific, North American, Latin American, European, Middle Eastern, and African regions. BRGs include BOLD (Black Outstanding Leaders Delivering), Vibras (empowering Hispanic/Latino/a/x and Latin American diaspora), Pride (uniting LGBTQ+ employees and allies), WAVE (Warner Asian Voices Elevated), WOW (Women of WBD), Honor (active duty and military veteran employees and family members), DiverseAbilities (community for those with visible and non-apparent disabilities), and more. BRGs are voluntary, employee-led groups that unite based on common characteristics, life experiences, purpose, and interests, and foster a diverse workplace and inclusive culture.

In December, the DEI North America team invited BRG leaders from across North America to the first-ever BRG Basecamp. BRG leaders spent 2 1/2 days hearing from some of WBD's leaders, gaining new skills, making connections, and strategizing for the New Year. The Basecamp was capped off with the Summit Awards where some of the BRGs and their leaders were recognized and celebrated for their incredible contributions to the internal workforce and external communities.

 

Developing the Next Generation of Storytellers

In November, WBD's DEI team opened the application submission portal for its 2024 WBD Access Writers Program, which offers participants learning and placement opportunities across WBD's television portfolio. The program will kick off in March 2024 and prepare historically excluded, emerging writers for a successful career in television through development opportunities, such as: writing a new television pilot, writers room training, and an extensive creative and business curriculum. WBD's DEI team is reviewing applications and looks forward to sharing more information about the chosen participants soon.

The Writers Program is just one of multiple pipeline programs under the WBD Access umbrella. WBD Access is creating inclusive pathways into the industry through best-in-class talent development programs, mentorship, placement opportunities, and industry exposure. Check out the WBD Access website for more information about our exciting slate of programs.

 

Engaging & Elevating Students in Sport

TNT Sports' DEI arm, the People Advisory Council, hosted two events in November at WBD's Atlanta office to increase representation in the sports industry:

  • ElevateHER welcomed its first cohort on November 9-10, bringing 12 women for a day and a half of learning and development where they heard from leading women across TNT Sports. Participants were selected from a pool of 120 national applicants from colleges and universities including Arizona State, Ohio State, and Spelman, among others, and will gain experience through contributing to a HighlightHER social project.
  • The ENGAGE Summit took place on November 14 and brought together 12 college students and entry-level professionals of color to participate in resume review workshops, mock interviews, networking opportunities, and a behind-the-scenes tour of TNT Sports' studio productions.

Celebrating Recent Wins

WBD is proud to have some of our outstanding content and talent across the portfolio recently recognized. At the Critics Choice Celebration of Cinema and Television: Honoring Black, Latino and AAPI Achievements, talent across the company was honored including:

  • Xolo Maridueña (from WB Pictures' "Blue Beetle") and Keivonn Woodard (from HBO's "The Last of Us") received the 'Rising Star Awards.' Woodard is the first black deaf actor to be nominated for an Emmy® and the second deaf actor overall (after Marlee Matlin).
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph (from Warner Bros. Television (WBTV)'s "Abbott Elementary") received the 'Career Achievement Award.'
  • America Ferrera (from WB Pictures' "Barbie") received the 'Groundbreaker Award.'
  • Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, Colman Domingo, and Corey Hawkins (from WB Pictures' "The Color Purple") received the 'Ensemble Award.'

At the AAFCA TV Honors, WBTV picked up a number of awards including:

  • Jennifer Hudson from WBTV's "The Jennifer Hudson Show" received the 'We See You Award.'
  • WBTV's "Ted Lasso" received the 'Inclusion Award.'
  • Jessica Williams (from WBTV's "Shrinking") received the 'Breakout Star Award.'
  • WBTV's "Abbott Elementary" received the 'Best TV Comedy Award.'
  • Quinta Brunson (from WBTV's "Abbott Elementary") received the 'Best TV Writing Award' for her work on the show.

And as a company, Warner Bros. Discovery was recently recognized by Newsweek as one of "America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024." WBD and others on the list were honored "by their employees for genuinely respecting and valuing individuals from different walks of life." (Newsweek) The Company is pleased to be selected and continues its commitment to making WBD a place employees feel safe, valued, and included.