Diversity in holiday movies is improving, but the gap still needs “to be filled.”

Diversity in holiday movies is improving, but the gap still needs “to be filled.” We told you that young people love watching holiday movies, and this year streaming services and cable networks delivered by releasing a slate of new films. Lifetime, Hallmark, and Netflix all brought inclusivity to the small screen by debuting movies with LGBTQ+ characters in prominent roles, but some feel like there’s still work that needs to be done when it comes to diversity. According to one film critic, holiday films “are still mostly all-White films with a smattering of a Black person or a Latino person.” She added that while on-screen representation is an important element, the writers and producers behind the screen have to reflect that diversity as well. One example of that is when screenwriter Monique Matthews wrote the Hallmark film A Holiday in Harlem, which premiered in November. It follows business executive Jazmin Carter (played by Denzel Washinton’s daughter Olivia Washington) as she returns to her childhood neighborhood to celebrate Christmas. According to Matthews, fans contacted her through social media saying they felt as though she gave “a voice to the voiceless.” YPulse’s Representation in Action trend research found that 53% of 13-39-year-old BIPOC consumers say stories centered on BIPOC individuals should be written by BIPOC individuals, and that is also applicable to feel-good holiday movies. (CBC)