At Innovative Artists, we are committed to achieving and upholding a community that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion. We are dedicated to maintaining an environment in which everyone in a protected class is safe including but not limited to race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, genetics, disability, veteran status or age. We believe we are responsible to our family of employees, clients and industry partners to continually educate ourselves and others about bias and equality in the workplace, and beyond. As allies, we vow to use our platform to provide opportunities and uplift the voices and careers of those who have been muted and marginalized.
Through a variety of programs and initiatives, we provide a platform for education, discussion, dialogue, and action. Utilizing speakers, consultants, and leaders in the field, we strive to maximize our ability to work together respectfully and inclusively and on behalf of our clients in a way which emphasizes equality and opportunity.
Our DEI Exchange affords us a monthly forum in which historic and topical materials are shared for the purpose of reading, viewing, and listening to the issues which challenge us to stay true to our resolve of understanding and improving our relationships and our workplace. The first Friday of every month the DEI Exchange will post a rotation of something to watch, something to read and something to hear. The intent is to expose ourselves to content that will spark conversation.
DEI Exchange February 2023
The Exchange will be hosting a Q & A with client Guy Torry about his documentary Phat Tuesdays!
PHAT TUESDAYS
DEI Exchange January 2023
READ
Revisiting ‘How The Other Half Eats’
CODE SWITCH
WATCH
DESCENDANT
NETFLIX
HEAR
Lectures in History Martin Luther King, Jr.
CSPAN
DEI Exchange November 2022
Discussion
Dr. Renee Smith- Maddox from the USC School of Social work will be joining us again, as we discuss media triggers and ways to cope.
USC School of Social Work
DEI Exchange October 2022
Task Force Speaker Event
Milagros Phillips: Healing Racism from the Inside-Out
Milagros Phillips
DEI Exchange September 2022
READ, WATCH & HEAR
Unidos: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage for a Stronger Nation
PBS
DEI Exchange August 2022
READ
White Terrorism Shows ‘Stunning’ Parallels to Islamic State’s Rise
New York Times
How the ‘replacement’ theory went mainstream on the political right
NPR
White Terrorism Is as Old as America
New York Times
WATCH
The Far-Right Is Trying to Blame the Climate Crisis on Immigration
VICE
January 6th Investigation
CSPAN
HEAR
Midday Edition Special: Rooting Out White Supremacy In The U.S. Military
KPBS PUBLIC MEDIA
Erin L. Thompson, “Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America’s Public Monuments” (Norton, 2022)
UNDISTRACTED with Brittany Packnett Cunningham
New Books in African American Studies Podcast
DEI Exchange July 2022
READ
Women of color will be most impacted by the end of Roe, experts say
Washington Post
With Roe v. Wade overturned, disabled people reflect on how it will impact them
NPR
Essential Politics: Is it OK to invoke ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ at abortion rights protests?
LA Times
WATCH
The End of Roe v. Wade — and What Comes Next | Kathryn Kolbert
TED
How the Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade Affects the LGBTQ+ Community
Human Rights Campaign
HEAR
Capehart and Gerson on the end of Roe v. Wade
PBS Newshour
Michelle Colón is Living Through The Last Days of Legal Abortion in Mississippi
UNDISTRACTED with Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Apple Podcasts
DEI Exchange June 2022
WATCH
Juneteenth: What You Need to Know
History Channel
YouTube
Imagine a Body: The Second Puberty of Trans Men
The New Yorker
READ
What Is Juneteenth? Here’s Why We Honor the Federal Holiday
Oprah Daily
Black History Is American History: How Juneteenth Highlights the Necessity of Critical Race Theory and Anti-Racist Teaching
The Educational Trust
The Anatomy of Fashion: Dressing the Body from the Renaissance to Today
by Susan J Vincent (Bloomsbury Press 2009)
The Anatomy of Fashion
HEAR
The History and Meaning of Juneteenth
New York Times
The Daily
Questlove: A Celebration of Soul
(in celebration of our NY Juneteenth event, listen to Questlove talk about his film: Summer of Soul)
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Questlove
Alok Vaid-Menon: The Urgent Need for Compassion
The Man Enough Podcast
Alok Vaid-Menon
DEI Exchange May 2022
WATCH
LAAPFF Virtual Showcase: HBO APA Visionaries Roundtable Conversation
HBO – YouTube
LAAPFF
Standing Together
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
Standing Together
READ
Chloé Zhao on Making Oscars History and How She Stayed True to Herself Directing Marvel’s ‘Eternals’
Variety
Chloé Zhao
HEAR
15 Best Podcasts From AAPI Creators to Add to Your List
Good Housekeeping
15 Podcasts
David Henry Hwang and 20 Years of Asian American Playwriting
The May Lee Show
David Henry Hwang
DEI Exchange April 2022
WATCH
VICE News
VICE
READ
NPR
HEAR
New York Times
The Daily
DEI Exchange March 2022
WATCH
Online Exhibits: Explore our collection of virtual exhibits and learn about trailblazing women, past and present.
National Women’s History Museum
READ
5 Facts About the State of the Gender Pay Gap
US Department of Labor
HEAR
How COVID-19 Is Setting Working Women Back
At Liberty Podcast
DEI Exchange February 2022
For Black History Month, the DEI Task Force and DEI Exchange want to focus on what has and has not changed in our industry.
WATCH
THE HARDER THEY FALL | Cast Roundtable Discussion
HARDER THEY FALL
THR Full Comedy Showrunner Roundtable: Judd Apatow, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Kenya Barris & More!
Comedy Roundtable
READ
UCLA Diversity Report 2021
UCLA College of Social Sciences
2021 Hollywood Diversity Report: Audiences showed up for diverse films in theaters, online
Hollywood Diversity Report
Stop Saying “Diverse” When You Mean Something Else by Rakshitha Arni Ravishankar
Harvard Business Review
HEAR
Beyond the Screen: Race and Diversity in Hollywood
Commonwealth Club of California Podcast
Diversity in Casting: Actors and Casting Directors Reflect
The Artist Inclusive Podcast