"The best way to fight hate is to prevent it from taking root in the first place." - Sam Gill
DDF President and CEO Sam Gill published an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter about the pressing need for the entertainment industry to address the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of Muslims in television and film. Gill issued an impassioned call to the entertainment industry: Media shapes our culture and has often perpetuated negative stereotypes about the Muslim community. We need more Muslim creatives in front of and behind the camera, and when Muslim culture is depicted onscreen, it should be both entertaining and enlightening. We should also spend time, energy and money to lift up historically overlooked voices and stories.
Engaging with the entertainment industry, this op-ed comes out of a successful activation of The Muslim House™ by the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Hollywood Bureau at the Sundance Film Festival. It catalyzed opportunities for U.S. Muslim creators and entertainment industry professionals to connect and collaborate. This is part of Doris Duke Foundation’s new $6M initiative to accelerate the U.S. Muslim storytelling movement and our work to combat hate and increase understanding between diverse communities.
Read DDF President and CEO Sam Gill's insights in The Hollywood Reporter.