Learn something new about others, and yourself. Take the Stand Against Racism Challenge | Opinion

I’ve been obsessed with “Bridgerton” since the first season. I love period pieces with their flowery language, over-the-top storylines and opulent fashion. I came across an article about Season 2 in Vogue written by Shelli Nicole, which got me thinking about my affinity for the series, and why it mesmerizes me so.

In it, Nicole discusses the new faces and fittingly points out the producers’ attempt to diversify the cast, questioning if it’s working or not. I think it is.

This week at YWCA South Florida, we have kicked off our third annual Stand Against Racism Challenge.

I love the Challenge.

I love that it stands up history, facts and our everyday lives like a mirror in which we see ourselves and our society. I love that, every year, my phone starts ringing with stories of, “I just didn’t realize . . .” This year is no different as we kick off the Challenge with a week focused on the impact that film and TV have had, and still have, on racism.

YWCA’s Stand Against Racism Challenge is a powerful digital tool for collective learning, available through our website and mobile app. Thousands of people already have signed up to learn about the impact of institutional and structural racism. To take part, register through our website or via our mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play. Search for “YWCA SAR Challenge.” Participants will receive daily emails and alerts creating an interactive and immersive experience. For 21 days, they will journey through weekly themes curated by our YWCA team to address pressing, and sometimes under-recognized, ways in which people of color have been deeply and disproportionately harmed by systems. Systems like film and TV.

There is no denying that motion pictures and TV shows have captured us for generations. Saturday mornings revolved around watching cartoons that were only available for a limited amount of time. Friday nights consisted of date nights or best-friend meetups at the local theater for the latest box-office release. Now, we clamor around, waiting for the latest high-stakes commercial or halftime show. While we enjoy the storyline, the hype and the music, we often fail to even recognize the stereotypes and racial undertones weaved seamlessly through the characters, the language and the settings.

We not only failed to recognize them, we accepted them, spellbound by the masterful storytellers.

Media portrayals often perpetuated cultural stereotypes of marginalized people. I cringe thinking about all the animated worlds we consumed as children that were completely out of sync with real life and, therefore, solidified our implicit biases.

“Bridgerton,” while somewhat of a fairy tale and over the top, has captured my heart because it completely and purposefully distorts the norms of race and society as we have been taught. It’s the fantasy of “what if it all went differently.”

Society needs to be exposed to diverse imagery. But to accomplish this, representation behind the screen matters. Then, movies such as “Black Panther” will be the norm, not an anomaly. And, prime time awards will feel authentic and less like an inclusivity to-do list.

Film and TV possess the power to weave, and the equal power to unravel, that very fabric. Screens changed our society in 2020.

The pandemic created social dynamics unlike anything we had experienced before. We were glued to our screens, stuck at home, awaiting what was next. We tuned into current events and watched in horror, over and over, as George Floyd was murdered. We then witnessed a nation that said, “Enough is enough.” Everyone, even celebrities, young and old, took to the streets, shoulder to shoulder with fans turned fellow citizens.

And, Hollywood was called out. The power and racism of the industry aired for all to see. Petitions were created, and hundreds of thousands signed in support, imploring the industry to own its power as part of the solution. Today, we celebrate that, as I do while watching “Bridgerton.”

We at YWCA hope this week becomes a part of the solution, too, with Stand Against Racism challenging us all to learn, listen — and grow.

I invite you to accept the Challenge and stand with us today.

Kerry-Ann Royes is president and CEO of YWCA South Florida.

This story was originally published April 5, 2022 at 4:36 PM.