Race + Entertainment

Hollywood’s Liberalism Doesn’t Match Its Actions on Race

The lasting impact entertainment has on society

Jeffrey Kass
Momentum
Published in
5 min readOct 20, 2021

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Family movie night. Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock.

The entertainment industry is known for its cadre of liberal actors.

Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, Sean Penn, George Clooney, Sarah Silverman, and other mega stars are well known for their activism and support for liberal causes and candidates. I, for one, welcome it.

Even years ago, the likes of Paul Newman, Charlie Chaplin, Kirk Douglas, Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, Warren Beatty, and many others were strong advocates of a variety of important liberal causes.

Scores of top celebrities spoke out against former President Donald Trump’s nastiness, misogyny, and racism: Jimmy Kimmel, Meryl Streep, Cher, Chelsea Handler, John Legend, Lady Gaga, Samuel L. Jackson, Bette Midler, Robert De Niro, Miley Cyrus, LeBron James, Ben Stiller, and Madonna were the tip of the iceberg. I’ll pass on mentioning Kim Kardashian so we don’t get sidetracked.

At award shows like the Golden Globes, it’s become the norm for speeches to mention racial justice, LGBTQ rights, climate change, equality for women, and other human rights.

There have been a few exceptions. Matthew McConaughey, Clint Eastwood, and Arnold…

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Jeffrey Kass
Momentum

A Medium Top Writer on Racism, Diversity, Education, History and Parenting | Speaker | Award-Winning Author | Latest Book: Black Batwoman V. White Jesus | Dad