STEPHAN JAMES
Actor and co- founder of The Black Academy, which showcases Black talent in arts and entertainment, speaking from Los Angeles
My heart goes out to those people who have either lost loved ones or have become stricken by this virus. It was American Thanksgiving, I'm Canadian, but I took a moment the other day, being out here in Los Angeles, just to really be grateful — grateful for life, grateful for the opportunities that we have before ourselves, grateful for The Black Academy, knowing the opportunities we're about to be able to present other people with. When you're able to stand for something that's bigger than yourself, I think that's when you get the most joy out of life.
SHAMIER ANDERSON
Actor and co- founder of The Black Academy, which showcases Black talent in arts and
entertainment, speaking from Toronto
There's a lot of time on my hands now that I'm not working. Reading more (has) been the number one priority, ... and reading not just novels, but reading stories about individuals impacting change around the world, different individuals. Reading new books, Black authors, Black filmmakers. And most importantly, the priority of pushing The Black Academy. I don't know if The Black Academy would have happened so quickly if it wasn't because of this pandemic. We had a lot of time to sit and think and really refine it. So that was a priority and now it's become our number one priority.