THR: TV’s So White Again: Diversity Now Seen as “Optional”. . .but article shows otherwise

wait. . .was it not optional before?

quote:

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When #Emmyssowhite began trending after white actors swept the lead and supporting acting categories during the Sept. 14 ceremony, it unearthed a reality deeper than the demand for equal acclaim: Actors of color can’t win accolades for roles that don’t exist.

“The Emmys ultimately reflect the work that makes it to our screens, and this year’s results are another reminder that progress is not linear,” Television Academy chair Cris Abrego says in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “We have seen meaningful gains in representation across our industry, but we have also seen real regression, and we cannot take progress for granted.”

UCLA documented the backsliding in its Hollywood Diversity Report, released in June, which noted, for the first time in three years, the proportion of lead actors of color on streaming fell below their proportion of the U.S. population, from a high of 51 percent in 2024 to 36 percent in 2025. Streaming films featuring casts with a majority of people of color slipped from 41 percent to 25.8 percent.

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Lead actors of color were overrepresented in 2024

Majority POC casts were overrepresented at 41%

So their complaint is a lack of overrepresentation?