‘We can do better’: How Hollywood’s diversity awakening hit a speed bump in 2021
The audience for the 73rd Emmy Awards erupted in cheers when Michaela Coel, the creator, star and key force behind the bold HBO dramedy "I May Destroy You," was announced as the winner for writing for a limited or anthology series or movie.
The jubilant response at the September ceremony signaled a deep appreciation for Coel's semi-autobiographical story of a young influencer wrestling with the trauma of sexual assault, not to mention the series' distinctive backdrop, the African and West Indian immigrant communities of modern London.
But Coel's eloquent acceptance speech also alluded to the challenges that come with telling, as she urged, "the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn't comfortable."
After all, despite a record-setting number of nominees of color, for such acclaimed programs as "I May Destroy You," Barry Jenkins' literary adaptation "The Underground Railroad," and the topical horror anthology "Lovecraft Country," conventional fare with mostly white casts — "Ted Lasso," "Mare of Easttown," "The Queen's Gambit" and "The Crown"
