Representation in film is increasing for women of color in lead roles, but the industry still has a long way to go. According to the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s recent report, “in 2022, 16 of the top 100 highest-grossing movies in the U.S. starred a woman of color as the film’s lead or co-lead — five more than in 2021.” And while two of the top movies last year featured lead roles for nonbinary actors of color (Janelle Monáe in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Amandla Stenberg in Bodies Bodies Bodies), these improvements are extremely subtle when looking at media from the last five years. YPulse data shows that when it comes to seeing themselves reflected in entertainment, 68% of BIPOC Gen Z and Millennials agree: “I wish I saw more people of my race in TV shows / movies,” and Black youth are most likely to agree at 71%. (Huff Post)
