Region’s entertainers aim to make industry more equitable
Meka King and Felichia Chivaughn Ellison are in it for the long haul. The two Central Florida performers know achieving racial equity in the local entertainment industry will take time — but they are committed to making change.
“We want to put procedures and protocols in place that are not just for now, that will last,” said King. The goal is to make sure everyone, regardless of ethnicity or background, has an equal shot at being not only onstage but also among the backstage decision-makers — board members, directors, fund raisers, set designers, producers and the like.
To that end, the two have organized a free, three-day online forum to rally those who work in entertainment to action.
The Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy Forum will give people of color a chance to share their stories before turning to the wider community to institute change. The forum’s first day, reserved for people of color, has an important purpose, the organizers said.
“There is a lot of pain associated with our careers that we don’t get to talk about. We shove it down and show up and be nice and try to be liked,” King said. “I’m not afraid of anger. I think it has every right to be there. But I think we can move from anger to action.”
That’s where the forum’s next two days come into play, as participants determine how best to change things — and how to hold one other accountable.
“There’s a lot happening, and it can feel overwhelming,” Ellison said. “When people leave, I think they’ll know the first steps they can take and have a vision of what change will look like.”
The two are drawing on the experiences of those who came before to inform the discussions during their event.
“We’re aware we’re not starting this conversation,” Ellison said. “We’re looking within our community, to those who have been doing this much longer than we have.”
King recalled how during one recent march for equality, she was encouraged by
an older onlooker — a Black man who had himself marched for civil rights during the 1960s. The encounter led her to reflect on how many have fought for progress — and how slow progress has been in coming.
“It was so beautiful and broke my heart at the same time,” she said.
King and Ellison think the forum will prove fruitful.
“I think with our community there is a lot of willingness to change, to grow, to learn,” King said. “As a whole, we have a community that is embracing.”
Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more news of theater and other arts? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts