By Zsana Hoskins, Particular to the AFRO
This summer season, three college students had the chance to expertise totally different elements of the leisure trade on the NAACP Hollywood Bureau. The NAACP Hollywood Bureau promotes trade range by a number of initiatives, together with directing and writing packages, fellowships and extra.
Every intern discovered this chance by HBCU in LA, a program that assists college students attending Traditionally Black Faculties and Universities (HBCUs) within the leisure trade with discovering an internship. This system additionally gives housing {and professional} growth alternatives.
One facet of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau internship is a dual-company program the place interns tackle two part-time roles all through the summer season—one with NAACP and one with one other native firm.
Andre Wilkens, a Howard College alumni, discovered each of his internships to be impactful to his profession journey.
“I acquired a full fledged boot camp on manufacturing, after which I acquired a public relations and expertise administration boot camp with Sunshine Sachs. I noticed the sensible methods and tangible processes of operating award exhibits, being a publicist for expertise, and being a publicist in a time like this the place the strikes not solely have an effect on your expertise’s work, however your work is now restricted,” Wilkes spoke about his expertise working with each the NAACP Hollywood Bureau and Sunshine Sachs, an Los Angeles primarily based PR Agency.
Julien Johnson, one other NAACP intern, accomplished one other internship with ABC 7 as a sports activities information intern.
“I get to go to totally different sports activities video games just like the Dodgers sport. I went to the Lakers’ observe facility. I’ve been to the Rams coaching camp. I actually simply get to shadow the reporters and typically I get to ask some inquiries to the athletes, coaches, and managers,” Johnson mentioned about his expertise.
Chandler Robinson, a rising junior at Howard College who additionally participated within the internship program, labored with Entrance Web page PR for her second internship this summer season.
“I work with Entrance Web page PR, a public relations agency primarily based out of LA as nicely. It’s lots of contacting and sustaining protection for purchasers,” mentioned the TV and movie main.
The NAACP Hollywood Bureau companions with a number of corporations resembling Disney, CBS, twentieth Century Fox, Paramount and extra to offer college students with the chance to start their careers in leisure.
Lower than 6 p.c of writers, administrators and producers of movies produced in the US are Black, based on a research carried out by the McKinsey Institute in 2021. So Black illustration in leisure can usually be laborious to return by.
All through their internships, Wilkes, Johnson and Robinson not solely discovered important expertise essential for his or her futures however related with trade veterans and different Black college students.
“It’s a pleasant alternative to simply be taught and get within the trade. It’s like getting a leg up in a method, particularly for folks like us who come from HBCUs. It’s tougher for us to get into these positions so I’m grateful to HBCU in LA for giving us these alternatives to be part of these corporations and make an influence at such a younger age,” Johnson mentioned.
Robinson loved assembly college students with comparable values and objectives.
“Getting into into this as a sophomore, this was my first time being on the west coast. I’ve discovered so much about myself and grown so much as an individual. So far as information throughout the leisure area, I’ve discovered much more than I might’ve been in a position to inside my programs. All of my internship expertise previous to this was digital due to COVID. I by no means acquired to totally work together with an workplace,” mentioned Robinson. “Simply assembly folks and discovering like-minded people. It’s actually tough, particularly being from a small city, to seek out individuals who validate your expertise.’
Wilkes was in a position to achieve hands-on expertise with leisure social justice because the Writers Guild of America (WAG) and the Display screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Tv and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are at the moment on strike. WAG started putting in Could and SAG-AFTRA adopted quickly after in July. The strike is especially because of low wages and the shortage of rights and safety from new applied sciences resembling synthetic intelligence (AI) and streaming providers, and Wilkes joined strikers on the entrance traces.
“I actually did be taught what that intersection of social influence and leisure appears to be like like. Coming into my skilled profession, I used to be in search of the crossroads of social entrepreneurship and leisure, and I not solely discovered what that intersection appears to be like like, however I discovered at a time the place essentially the most strain is being put proper on the intersection. So it’s forcing the individuals who lie at that intersection to behave rapidly,” Wilkes mentioned.
The interns additionally helped with the 114th Nationwide NAACP Conference which came about in Boston from July 28 on August 1. Wilkes, Johnson, and Robinson every had totally different but essential roles within the total occasion.
Whereas Wilkes centered on manufacturing and Johnson centered on capturing content material for social media, Robinson help with public relations issues.
“I’ve discovered so much in regards to the trade so far as interacting with publicists and advertising, in addition to manufacturing. I’ve discovered about escorting and briefing expertise. I started working with a number of celebrities which was fairly cool. It was good to satisfy these folks, have real conversations, and community,” Robinson mentioned.
In line with Statistica, the media and leisure trade in the US recorded over 4 million workers final yr. Because the trade continues to develop, Wilkes, Johnson, and Robinson need to proceed making an influence within the leisure trade.
“I at all times knew I preferred the entire lights, digital camera, and motion and the celebrity-esque way of life–I simply knew I didn’t need to be the movie star. So as a result of I knew I didn’t need to be the expertise, I shied away from it. However I didn’t know the methods I may harness this realm for what I need to do which helps folks and pushing coverage. The internship gave me a step-by-step plan on easy methods to combine the 2,” Wilkes expressed.
Johnson has a number of pursuits within the trade and was in a position to be taught extra about them by this internship program.
“That is the place I need to be—sports activities, leisure, information basically. This has actually helped me achieve extra perception on finished of the issues that I might be doing. It’s helped me notice issues I like and issues I don’t like,” the Milwaukee native mentioned.
Robinson plans on working her method as much as finally working in tv and movie.
“I by no means noticed myself as somebody who simply stayed in a single route. Advertising and public relations is what I’m most acquainted with so I assumed I might begin right here. However I do see myself shifting into different lanes of leisure. Despite the fact that I’m not in a film-related internship, I’m studying all the things that I wouldn’t be taught in my coursework at Howard hands-on with precise expertise,” Robinson mentioned.
Together with internship packages, the NAACP Hollywood Bureau additionally affords the NAACP Range Fellowship Program and Media Range Govt Management Applications. The group additionally companions with different organizations that target bringing alternatives to college students of colour, such because the Emma Bowen Basis Minorities in Broadcasting Coaching Program, and extra.
To be taught extra about these initiatives and packages, comply with @hollywoodbureau on Instagram or go to www.naacp.org.
