Black Panther star Michael B. Jordan is using his success in Hollywood to push for representation in the entertainment industry. According to his new Instagram post, Jordan's company, Outlier Society Productions, will adopt an inclusion rider for all projects moving forward.
The term "inclusion rider" was brought into the national conversation when Frances McDormand called for them while accepting her award for Best Actress at the Oscars on Sunday night.
Created by University of Southern California communications professor Stacy L. Smith, civil rights attorney Kalpana Kotagal, and Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni of Pearl Street Films, the term "inclusion rider" refers to the legal language one can put in their contract in order to ensure a project will meet appropriate standards of diversity.
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Jordan backs the idea completely — and is putting his beliefs into action. In the caption of an Instagram photo of the actor, Outlier Society's head of production and development Alana Mayo, and Jordan's agent Phillip Sun, he wrote:
"In support of the women & men who are leading this fight, I will be adopting the Inclusion Rider for all projects produced by my company Outlier Society. I’ve been privileged to work with powerful woman & persons of colour throughout my career & it’s Outlier’s mission to continue to create for talented individuals going forward."
Jordan and McDormand are not the only people working in Hollywood to bring inclusion into the conversation. Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez recently penned a powerful essay for Variety about Latinx representation in the entertainment industry. Fresh Off the Boat actress Constance Wu spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how important it is to see Asian actors in contemporary roles. Director Ava DuVernay was praised for casting a young Black actress, Storm Reid, as the lead in A Wrinkle In Time in order for young Black children to see someone who looks like them on the big screen.
Inclusion riders are just one way Hollywood can work towards equality in representation. Kudos to Jordan for making them a part of everything his production company makes.