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While Barack Obama was greeting voters and kissing babies
the Rev. Jesse Jackon eased on into Hollywood to seek more
diversity in the movie industry. Now that a foot has secured
an opening in the door Jesse wants to open it a little more
for people of color. This strategy by Jackson is sure to work
but for whom? Well only time will tell. We'll keep an eye on
this situation and see how it unfolds. In the meantime what
you think?


As seemingly half of Hollywood converged on a fundraiser for Democratic presidential aspirant Sen. Barack Obama, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was huddled elsewhere with Universal Studios president Ron Meyer over his own campaign -- to increase industry diversity.``We must go to each of the companies and agencies and urge them to make the industry open up and expand the market and the opportunities,'' Jackson said Wednesday during an hour-plus interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

``After all, we once did not know how big baseball could be until everyone could play. Right now, with the systemHollywood, we don't know how big the entertainment market can be until everybody is able to participate.''
Jackson's Tuesday meeting with Meyer and his planned sessions with various studio heads, talent agency executives and others are part of a continuing campaign by the civil rights leader's Rainbow Coalition to press for greater diversity in Hollywood's casting process and studio hiring. Citing data like a recent UCLA report showing low numbers of minority-oriented film roles, Jackson aims to convince industry elite that increased casting and hiring of minorities will broaden the creative scope of Hollywood entertainment and thus its revenue base.

``Our premise is that inclusion leads to growth,'' he said. ''So for those who are locked out, they lose development, and those who are in power lose market and growth.''
Still, Jackson acknowledges the stepped-up campaign might seem oddly timed, considering that black actors are considered favorites to take home Oscars in three of four acting categories.
``I'm afraid that these three or five excellent actors and actresses will send a wrong signal,'' Jackson said. ``There's no doubt that some who watch Sunday night will say, 'We're over the mountain,' but they will not see the lack of a feeder system into the infrastructure.

``The issue here is the pipeline. We can focus on the three to five actors up on top, but the industry is comprised of the executives and the artists and the producersHollywood.''
And don't get him started on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, whose composition is a major sore point.
``They have like 40 people on their board of governors, and only one is a black person,'' Jackson said. ``The Academy needs to reflect America itself, and this is an archaic arrangement.''

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