Writers Strike Black

<p>The entertainment industry and its TV and film writers can’t get on the same page. For the first time in over a decade, the <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/symone/watch/unpacking-the-writers-strike-with-wga-negotiators-173557317766" target="_blank">Writers Guild of America</a> is on strike. Shows like <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/saturday-night-live-writers-strike-goes-dark-1235601371/" target="_blank">Saturday Night Live</a> have already stopped production, with more to come as the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers try to reach a labor agreement.</p><p>As networks and film studios continue make record-high profits, writers are fighting for livable wages and <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/writers-strike-abbott-elementary-tweet-rcna82886" target="_blank">fair compensation in the streaming era</a>. And for the Black writers and the community at large, there’s much more at stake.</p><p>For decades, Black writers were shut out of writers’ rooms, unable to tell their own stories. As the industry changed, these scribes were only relegated to write comedy. Today, just a handful have made it to the top of the television hierarchy as showrunners. </p><p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1092388/" target="_blank">Anthony Sparks</a>, a 20-year industry veteran told Trymaine Lee that for him, the strike is about making sure writing can continue to be a viable career path for people like him. Because if the industry doesn’t change, Black writers could get squeezed out, and Black audiences risk losing representation, or worse – having outsiders control it.</p><p>Follow and share the show on <a href="https://twitter.com/intoamericapod" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/intoamericapod" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/intoamericapod" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, using the handle <strong>@intoamericapod</strong>.</p><p>Thoughts? Feedback? Story ideas? Write to us at <a href="mailto:intoamerica@n