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On this episode of the Women of Color Unite podcast, Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper recap the first season of the WOCU podcast, and reflect on the WGA and SAG strikes so far. Subscribe to the Women of Color Unite Podcast to never miss a new episode. Become a premium subscriber today and get access to our “Hot Tea” bonus segments and the video versions of the podcast for only $2.99 per month: Subscribe here Links mentioned: Billy Porter Says He Has To Sell His House Due To Hollywood Strikes, Slams Disney CEO Bob Iger: ‘F**k You' (yahoo.com) Geena Davis institute studies on colorism National institute of health - colorism Reaganomics has not worked Crutches & spice instagram The Women of Color Unite Podcast is produced by Nwabata Nnani and edited by Lauren Bonett. It's hosted by Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper. If you want to submit questions or responses to any of our episodes - either written or a voice note - you can send them to podcast@wocunite.com. Find out more about Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org Donate to Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org/donate Music by Oh Yeah featuring Nyuta Follow us on social media: @wocupodcast, @wocuniteorg @manondereeper and @Cheryl_CLBP. Recorded with Riverside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wocu-podcast/message
On this episode of the Women of Color Unite podcast, Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper sit down with Dr. Sarah L. Webb to discuss the much avoided topic of Colorism in Hollywood. Subscribe to the Women of Color Unite Podcast to never miss a new episode. Become a premium subscriber today and get access to our “Hot Tea” bonus segments and the video versions of the podcast for only $2.99 per month: Subscribe here Links mentioned: Dr. Sarah L. Webb: https://colorismhealing.com/ Dr. Sarah L. Webb (@colorismhealing) • Instagram photos and videos ‘Diversity Fatigue'? Hollywood Loses 4 DEI Leaders in Less Than 2 Weeks Ms. Foundation Releases Landmark Study on Philanthropic Giving for Women and Girls of Color Dr. Akosua Lesesne's (@siecretreat) Instagram Colorism in Casting Call for 'Straight Outta Compton' NWA Film The Women of Color Unite Podcast is produced by Nwabata Nnani and edited by Lauren Bonett. It's hosted by Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper. If you want to submit questions or responses to any of our episodes - either written or a voice note - you can send them to podcast@wocunite.com. Find out more about Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org Donate to Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org/donate Music by Oh Yeah featuring Nyuta Follow us on social media: @wocupodcast, @wocuniteorg @manondereeper and @Cheryl_CLBP. Recorded with Riverside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wocu-podcast/message
On this bonus episode, our hosts Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper are joined by Women of Color Unite's Head of Education, Dr. Akosua Lesesne, who responds to Roanna Renee's story of how she experienced sexual battery at the hands of a VP of DEI in Hollywood - what the implications are, and what the future holds for DEI in the entertainment industry. Subscribe to the Women of Color Unite Podcast to never miss a new episode. Become a premium subscriber today and get access to our “Hot Tea” bonus segments and the video versions of the podcast for only $2.99 per month: Subscribe here Links mentioned: Dr. Akosua Lesesne's Instagram https://lovenowmedia.com/the-me-too-movements-new-program-director-has-a-history-of-healing/ me too. Movement (metoomvmt.org) All the women are white, all the blacks are men (book link) Her Words | Sojourner Truth Memorial Committee DR. Deguar Analysis “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” Assata Shakur The Women of Color Unite Podcast is produced by Nwabata Nnani and edited by Lauren Bonett. It's hosted by Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper. If you want to submit questions or responses to any of our episodes - either written or a voice note - you can send them to podcast@wocunite.com. Find out more about Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org Donate to Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org/donate Music by Oh Yeah featuring Nyuta Follow us on social media: @wocupodcast, @wocuniteorg @manondereeper and @Cheryl_CLBP. Recorded with Riverside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wocu-podcast/message
TRIGGER WARNING! On this episode of the Women of Color Unite Podcast, Roanna Renee shares her story of sexual battery, betrayal, and the total disregard of Black female victims. If you or someone you know has been sexually harrased, battered or assaulted, please reach out for help to the National Sexual Assault Hotline 1(800) 656-4673. Please speak to someone today. This is dedicated to all the women of color left out of #MeToo. Links: https://metoomvmt.org/ California Penal Code 243.4 PC - https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=243.4.&lawCode=PEN Book: But Some of Us are Brave https://www.amazon.com/But-Some-Us-Are-Brave/dp/1558618988 Subscribe to the Women of Color Unite Podcast to never miss a new episode. Become a premium subscriber today and get access to our “Hot Tea” bonus segments and the video versions of the podcast for only $2.99 per month: Subscribe here The Women of Color Unite Podcast is produced by Nwabata Nnani and edited by Lauren Bonett. It's hosted by Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper. If you want to submit questions or responses to any of our episodes - either written or a voice note - you can send them to podcast@wocunite.com. Find out more about Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org Donate to Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org/donate Music by Oh Yeah featuring Nyuta Follow us on social media: @wocupodcast, @wocuniteorg @manondereeper and @Cheryl_CLBP. Recorded with Riverside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wocu-podcast/message
This episode, Cheryl and Manon break down the diversity paradox and how Hollywood is leaving billions of dollars on the table. Over and over, studies have shown that more diverse representation in film and TV positively impacts both viewership and the bottom line, yet marginalized communities are still severely underrepresented on-screen. In our hot tea segment for premium subscribers, we talk about pitching our own projects, all of which have marginalized leads, and some of the (positive and negative) responses we've had. Perhaps the most perplexing: “this is too diverse”. Subscribe to the Women of Color Unite Podcast to never miss a new episode. Become a premium subscriber today and get access: Subscribe here Links mentioned: Non-White Audiences More Likely To Watch Shows With Diverse Casts – Deadline Diverse TV Resonates With Audiences, UCLA Study Finds | Time Taika Waititi Addresses Hollywood's Issues in Diversity & Inclusion: "What's Taking So Long?" - YouTube The Prevalence and Portrayal of Asian American and Pacific Islanders across 1,300 Popular Films (uscannenberg.org) Hispanic and Latino Representation in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind the Camera Across 1,300 Popular Movies (uscannenberg.org) Inclusion in the Director's Chair: Analysis of Director Gender and Race/Ethnicity Across the 1,600 Top Films from 2007 to 2022 (uscannenberg.org) As women age with longevity on their side, the financial future is female (rbcwealthmanagement.com) We We Need More Movies About Older Women Like Book Club (katiecouric.com) Ageism in Hollywood: ‘The Worst I've Ever Seen It' | Next Avenue Hollywood Losing $10B in Potential Annual Revenue From Black Inequity, Says McKinsey Report – The Hollywood Reporter A Hidden Market: The Purchasing Power of Working-Age Adults with Disabilities (air.org) Disability Representation In Hollywood - The Pioneers You Probably Don't Know Enough About (forbes.com) Understanding the Multi-Billion Dollar LGBT Market – Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication (fsu.edu) Taylor Sheridan Interviw https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/taylor-sheridan-yellowstone-interview-1235519261/ Pride Never Stops Hulu https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/bianca-del-rio-hulu-livestream-pride-marches-1235649130/ Non-White Paper CSA https://wocunite.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CSA-WOCU-Non-white-Paper-Sep-13_compressed.pdf WOCU Seal https://wocunite.org/wocu-seal/ Michael Harriot's Takedown of Nikki Haley https://twitter.com/michaelharriot/status/1672893653008695298 The Women of Color Unite Podcast is produced by Nwabata Nnani and edited by Lauren Bonett. It's hosted by Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper. If you want to submit questions or responses to any of our episodes - either written or a voice note - you can send them to podcast@wocunite.com. Find out more about Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org Donate to Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org/donate Music by Oh Yeah featuring Nyuta Follow us on social media: @wocupodcast, @wocuniteorg @manondereeper and @Cheryl_CLBP. Recorded with Riverside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wocu-podcast/message
This episode, Cheryl and Manon break down what Diversity, Equity & Inclusion departments do at the studios and other production companies, and how they have become yet another tool in the toolbox of Hollywood gatekeepers. In our hot tea segment for premium subscribers, we talk about Uber's “Don't Call Me Karen” event, and how that led to their DEI Officer being suspended. Oof. And what about that “backlash” from Asia about casting Halle Bailey as the Little Mermaid? Our thoughts may not be what you expect. Links mentioned: Chief Diversity Officer Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Chief Diversity Officers In The US (zippia.com) Pocket Change: How Women and Girls of Color Do More with Less (forwomen.org) “Diversity Within”: The Problems with “Intersectional” White Feminism in Practice | Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society | Oxford Academic (oup.com) I am a Woman of Color and I am not endorsing Nithya Raman by Cheryl L. Bedford Book: But Some of Us Are Brave Edited by Akasha (Gloria T.) Hull, Patricia Bell Scott, and Barbara Smith Screenwriters Contest Transparency Initiative Uber Suspends DEI Chief After Employees Complain of Insensitivity - The New York Times (nytimes.com) Box Office: The Little Mermaid Doused in China After Racist Backlash (The Hollywood Reporter) Subscribe to the Women of Color Unite Podcast to never miss a new episode. Become a premium subscriber today and get access: Subscribe here The Women of Color Unite Podcast is produced by Nwabata Nnani and edited by Lauren Bonett. It's hosted by Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper. If you want to submit questions or responses to any of our episodes - either written or a voice note - you can send them to podcast@wocunite.com. Find out more about Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org Donate to Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org/donate Music by Oh Yeah featuring Nyuta Follow us on social media: @wocupodcast, @wocuniteorg @manondereeper and @Cheryl_CLBP. Recorded with Riverside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wocu-podcast/message
Welcome to the first episode of the all new podcast from Women of Color Unite (WOCU)! Join us as we get a colorful introduction to WOCU's founder, Cheryl L Bedford and WOCU's VP Manon De Reeper. Learn about who they are and how WOCU came to be. You definitely don't want to miss hearing about their first meeting! Stick around to hear some insightful perspective on the current WGA strike and how this impacts women of color. ==== WGA Strike Resources: WGA STRIKE RESOURCES Research article about intersectionality in non-profits: “Diversity Within”: The Problems with “Intersectional” White Feminism in Practice | Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society | Oxford Academic (oup.com) Subscribe to Women of Color Unite Podcast to never miss a new episode. Become a premium subscriber today and get access: Subscribe here The Women of Color Unite Podcast is produced by Nalonni Madden and Sameena Mustafa, edited by Lauren Bonett and Nwabata Nnani, and hosted by Cheryl L. Bedford and Manon de Reeper. If you want to submit questions or responses to any of our episodes - either written or a voice note - you can send them to podcast@wocunite.com. Find out more about Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org Donate to Women of Color Unite: https://wocunite.org/donate Music by Oh Yeah featuring Nyuta Follow us on social media: @wocupodcast, @thejtclist @manondereeper and @CLBP_cheryl. Recorded with Riverside --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wocu-podcast/message
Cheryl L. Bedford is the driving force behind Women of Color Unite - WOCU - and there's something you need to know from the start: She is OK with being uncomfortable - in fact, she prefers it that way - because she believes that's where positive change happens. WOCU is the LA-based social action and non-profit organization focused on remedying the inequities that face Women of Color in today's entertainment and media industries. This group stands for hiring parity, fair treatment, and providing resources to Women of Color content creators industry-wide. As a collective of over 5000 women and growing, they work to create opportunities for engagement between hiring agents and their active membership of experienced women to address the indefensible precept: “I don't know any WOC that I can hire.” In this episode, Cheryl brings the conversation of race and inequality front and center, providing solutions that are action-oriented and achievable. This is one good - GREAT - conversation.
Cheryl Bedford is a NAACP Image Award Nominee for “Dark Girls” and Baltimore native who holds a BFA from NYU's TSOA and MFA in Producing from AFI. As a production manager, line producer, and producer, Cheryl has worked on countless film/tv/digital projects, including 17 Independent Features. She was the first Chair of Diversity Development and a Producing Instructor at New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, California. She formed her own company, Cheryl L. Bedford Productions, in January of 2001. Ms. Bedford is the founder of Women of Color Unite (WOCU), a nonprofit whose purpose is to help women of color get hired, their projects funded and content distributed. In this episode, Cheryl talks to Anya and Fanshen about how her roots in social justice activism has influenced her career in Hollywood.
In February 2018, Cheryl L. Bedford threw a party. The invite called for women of color to unite, and the event spawned Women of Color Unite, the nonprofit organization Bedford oversees that supports women of color in the entertainment industry. “We basically built Women of Color Unite on the idea of exclusion by familiarity and ending it,” Bedford said in the latest episode of the Digiday Podcast In the fight against people hiring people whose identities and experiences are most similar to their own, Women of Color Unite operates two programs that are aimed to help women of color get in the door and move up the Hollywood ranks. The JTC List is a database of 4,500 women of color that not only provides a free tool for companies to find cinematographers, line producers, screenwriters and others, but also provides Women of Color Unite a means of analyzing the issues underpinning the challenges for women of color in entertainment. Then there is #StartWith8. This program originated after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and gets established people in Hollywood to commit to giving their time and energy to support eight women of color apiece. For example, Win Rosenfeld — a writer/producer and president of Jordan Peele's production company Monkeypaw Productions — committed to meet with eight women of color, read their scripts and provide them with notes. “That means a lot to somebody, to understand what people want in this industry, to understand what kind of things get green-lit,” said Bedford.
In this episode of "A Conversation With", I sit down with Cheryl L. Bedford. Ms. Bedford founded Women of Color Unite, a 501(c)(3). The Women Of Color Unite organization is a social action organization focused on fair access, fair treatment, and fair pay for women of color in all aspects of the entertainment and media industries. WOCU is an action-oriented organization that consults and advocates for fair treatment of women of color in the entertainment industry. ======================= Bio for Cheryl L. Bedford Cheryl L. Bedford, a NAACP Image Award Nominee for “Dark Girls” and Baltimore native, holds a BFA from NYU's TSOA and MFA in Producing from AFI. She is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. As a Production Manager, Line Producer, and Producer, Cheryl has worked on countless film/tv/digital projects, including 17 Independent Features. Ms. Bedford served as CFO and Supervising Producer for a boutique studio. She was formerly Chair of Diversity Development and a Producing Instructor at New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, California. As Chair, Ms. Bedford developed the Diversity Series, the Industry Lab (creating a bridge from school to work), among other initiatives. She has also taught The Art of Line Producing at UCLA Extension in Westwood, CA. She is a currently a producer on The Early Smith Story and #VoteLove, both currently in development. Ms. Bedford formed her own company, Cheryl L. Bedford Productions, in January of 2001. In her spare time, she judges film festivals. More recently, Ms. Bedford founded Women of Color Unite, a 501(c)(3), which purpose is to help WOC get Hired, their projects Funded and their content Distributed. From the members of WOCU, Cheryl created The JTC List. The JTC List is a database of 3500+ Women of Color in Entertainment, which is being shared throughout the Industry. Never again will someone be able to say, they can't find any WOC for any job above or below the line. The list is named after her mother, Joan Theresa Curtis, an activist, warrior and Ms. Bedford's biggest fan, who passed away in 2016. For more information: wocunite.org Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/aconversationwithfm/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/aconversationwithfm/support
#Startwith8™ was started by The Bitch Pack's Thuc Nguyen, screenwriter, activist, and curator of the annual Bitch List in June 2020. Cheryl L. Bedford is a producer and the Executive Director and Founder of Women of Color Unite and the JTC List joined forces with Thuc on #Startwith8™ after which they launched #Startwith8Hollywood. And now they are branching out with #Startwith8UK and #Startwith8Canada. TBB's Akua Gyamfi has joined forces with Cheryl and Thuc to lead #Startwith8UK speaks to Cheryl and #Startwith8Canada's lead Murry Peeters about the groundbreaking initiative that connects entertainment professionals with 8 Women (and non-binary people) of Color working in the business to formulate a plan of action based on what each mentee desires and what is achievable by the mentor to create tangible progress in the mentee's career. Find out more about #Startwith8 https://www.startwith8hollywood.com/#about (here) Find out more about WOCU https://wocunite.org/ (here) Find out more about The Bitch Pack http://www.thebitchpack.com/ (here) Find out more about Murry Peeters https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5641755/ (here)
***EXPLICIT LANGUAGE***This podcast features Cheryl L. Bedford, whose name should be in the dictionary next to Hollywood Diversity and Inclusion.Bedford is a longtime outspoken Hollywood producer, who has always advocated for fairness. Best known as a producer of the still talked about 2011 “Dark Girls” documentary on colorism, her fearless, passionate voice has started the proactive organization Women of Color Unite. The group - for Women of Color behind the scenes and in front of the camera - addresses the dismal numbers and treatment of us – Women of Color - in entertainment. In addition to discussing Women of Color Unite, also known as WOCU (https://wocunite.com/), we discuss The JTC List (See WOCU website for more info) – a database of Women of Color in entertainment. Plus, we’ll hear about the successful mentorship initiative #StartWith8Hollywood (https://www.startwith8hollywood.com/), a partnership with The Bitch Pack, headed by Thuc Nguyen, that’s shaking up Hollywood gatekeepers.Hold on to your hats and seats because this interview is lit with hard-hitting, in your face facts. INDEX:00:00:12 Intro00:02:20 Short Music Break by Deepa Soul (https://www.deepasoullive.com/)00:02:54 Who Is Cheryl L. Bedford?/'Dark Girls' & Colorism/The JTC List & Women of Color Unite (WOCU) Beginnings00:11:39 The JTC List Named For Mother/Black Hair00:15:20 Kamala Harris-Light Skinned Black People & Identity00:18:34 Short Music Break00:19:00 Nuts & Bolts of The JTC List & WOCU00:29:59 Short Music Break00:30:33 Bedford's Family Members Fueled Her Activism00:32:06 "Trauma Porn"00:33:32 #StartWith8Hollywood00:41:56 Short Music Break00:43:09 "Get Us In The Door"00:44:27 Emmys: Black vs. Latinx-"Stop Fighting Over That Piece of Pie"00:48:40 Bedford Outro00:49:49 End with Deepa Soul Bio & MusicOther Music:"Jazz Addict’s Intro" by Cosimo Fogg(https://soundcloud.com/cosimo-fogg)"Affection" by Sappheiros | https://soundcloud.com/sappheirosmusic Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USBreaking Down by Groove Bakery | https://groovebakery.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ The Way by Mike Leite | https://soundcloud.com/mikeleiteMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USDay Ahead by Joe Crotty | https://soundcloud.com/joecrottyMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Underground Magnolia website: (http://undergroundmagnolia.com/)Instagram: @UMPodcastDV (https://www.instagram.com/umpodcastdv/)Twitter: @UMPodcastDV (https://twitter.com/UMPodcastDV)Send questions/comments and requests to contact@undergroundmagnolia.com. For more information on having your music featured, send an email.
In this episode of #DirectingMagic; Cheryl L. Bedford the producer of DARK GIRLS and founder of the JTC List / Women of Color Unite organization joins @Marquette_Jones. They discuss Cheryl's motivation for starting the flourishing nonprofit organization that supports diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry and her vision for getting more women of color hired in Hollywood. Related Links: https://wocunite.com/ http://www.directingmagic.com/
Cheryl L. Bedford and I talk about her journey into the film industry. She shares shares has NYU made her a filmmaker and AFI taught her how to be a filmmaker in Los Angeles. Cheryl also shares how she met Bill Duke and became a line producer on the documentary, "Dark Girls." That led to us talking about colorism. Joan Theresa Curtis, Cheryl's mother is her biggest role model. Joan influenced Cheryl to use her gifts to make the world a better place for the next generation. In her honor, Cheryl started Women of Color Unite / The JTC List which creates a list of women of color to help get them hired, their work distributed and to create a community for Women of Color. WOC UNITE is having it's first annual Gala on March 28, 2019. Bio: Cheryl L. Bedford, a NAACP Image Award Nominee for “Dark Girls” and Baltimore native, holds a BFA from NYU’s TSOA and MFA in Producing from AFI. She is currently based in Los Angeles, CA. As a Production Manager, Line Producer, and Producer, Cheryl has worked on countless film/tv/digital projects, including 16 Independent Features. Ms. Bedford served as CFO and Supervising Producer for a boutique studio. She was formerly Chair of Diversity Development and a Producing Instructor at a Film School in Los Angeles, California. As Chair, Ms. Bedford developed the Diversity Series, the Industry Lab (creating a bridge from school to work), among other initiatives. She has also taught The Art of Line Producing at UCLA Extension in Westwood, CA. Ms. Bedford formed her own company, Cheryl L. Bedford Productions, in January of 2001. In her spare time, she judges film festivals. More recently, Ms. Bedford founded Women of Color Unite, her 501(c)(3), which purpose is to help WOC get Hired, their projects Funded and their content Distributed. From the members of WOC Unite, Cheryl created The JTC List. The JTC List is a Google Doc of 400+ Women of Color in Entertainment, which is being shared throughout the Industry. Never again will someone be able to say, they can’t find any WOC for any job above or below the line. The list is named after her mother, Joan Theresa Curtis, an activist, warrior and Ms. Bedford’s biggest fan, who passed away in 2016. To join the list or to hire women from the list, please email TheJTCList@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/thejtclist Instagram: www.instagram.com/thejtclist Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheJTCList
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