It is very clear that the entertainment industry has an issue with race and racial representation across genres. Actors Kerry Washington (Scandal) and Aziz Ansari (Master of None) sat down for the fourth season of PBS SoCal’s and Variety’s Actors on Actors team to discuss how the lack of diversity of voices, writers, and talent in the television and film industries affects their careers.

In a candid moment, Kerry Washington makes it clear that the overwhelming whiteness of the entertainment industry is not unique to Hollywood. “It came out after ‘Oscars So White’ and I loved that they did it because there was all this attention on Hollywood, but it was like no, no, no, every industry is so white,” Washington said.

Similarly, Ansari explains that once people of color reach a certain level of success in Hollywood, it is their duty to help others get there. “I think it’s really important. It’s kind of a responsibility we have once we kind of get to a certain place to look out for people,” Ansari said.

The episode will premiere on Variety Studio: Actors on Actors on June 12th and June 19th on PBS SoCal. It can also be streamed at Variety.com.

Photo: YouTube screenshot

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  • Jenn M. Jackson was born and raised in East Oakland, California, a fact which motivates her writing and academic ambitions. She is a scholar, educator, and writer whose writing addresses Black Politics and civil and public life for young Black people with a focus on policing and surveillance. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Water Cooler Convos, a culture platform for Black millennials. Her writing has been featured in Washington Post, BITCH Magazine, Marie Claire, EBONY, The Root, Daily Dot, The Independent, and many others. Jackson is a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago studying American Politics with a focus on political participation and engagement, public opinion and social movements. For more about her, tweet her at @JennMJack or visit her website at jennmjackson.com.