Who Did I Offend Now? Cultural Competency in Storytelling

presented in partnership with the NAACP

A long line of films, including epics like Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind, have been praised for cinematic prowess and ironically denounced for cultural insensitivity. At a time when social perspectives are largely shaped by an endless barrage of deliberately designed media images, film and television content creators are being challenged for contributing to a world of misinformation and division. Are they perpetuating negative stereotypes? Is bias an unavoidable element of art? Should artistic license be subject to revocation in the pursuit of representational equity? What steps can be taken to ensure cultural competence in media?

The NAACP will probe these questions and lead an exploratory forum on the power and social responsibilities that accompany mass media storytelling.

Panelists
Darnell Hunt, Dean of the Division of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology and African American Studies, UCLA
Brittany A. Little, Vice President, Drama Development, Universal Television
Britta Wilson, Vice President, Inclusion Strategies, Pixar Animation Studios

Moderator
Kyle Bowser, NAACP