Master Class: Hollywood Royalty–The Impact of Black Actress on Hollywood in the 1930s

Speaker: Dr. Carrie Teresa Isard, Niagara University

Join the Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (DICE) for a master class led by Dr. Carrie Teresa Isard, Associate Professor and Chair of Communication and Media Studies at Niagara University. Within this session Dr. Isard will discuss the impact of Actresses Hattie McDaniel, Fredi Washington, and Eslanda Robeson who were all considered Hollywood royalty in the 1930s.

They confronted issues of misogyny, colorism, and fatphobia, all while fighting for racial integration in the film industry and labor rights for Black actors. The experiences of Ms. McDaniel, Ms. Washington, and Ms. Robeson juxtaposed with modern examples of racism, sexism, and labor inequity in the contemporary film industry offer an opportunity to examine the accomplishments of these extraordinary women as lessons for modern Hollywood.