Lee Daniels Calls Out Hollywood Producers for the Lack of Black Writers

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The Empire co-creator said that the lack of diversity in writing rooms made it seem as though people of color were unwanted.

Taylor Lewis Sep, 24, 2015

It’s no secret that Empire co-creator Lee Daniels has played a big part in bringing diversity to the big—and small—screen, but now, the showrunner wants other producers to follow suit.

At a Hollywood Reporter roundtable, Daniels called out his fellow producers for not having diversity in their writers’ rooms.

“I don’t know what gives me more pleasure: watching my story unfold, or going in and watching a roomful of Black people talking for me…” he said, going on to criticize the other producers who admitted that their writing rooms were not nearly as diverse. “It’s inexcusable is what it is…What is important is that people of color know that they are wanted. Because y’all done told me that we ain’t wanted.”

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