The Top 100 People Of Color In Media: Part 8: 30-21
From creators to executives, from technicians to producers, the world of media and entertainment offers thousands of professions that cross and merge, giving the people that work in it the opportunity to fully discover how creative potential and business acumen often overlap. It is fascinating to study the careers of some of these people, thus understanding which opportunities they were able to seize and when did “the right moment” happen. This is why A Hot Set has compiled a list of “The Top 100 People of Color In Media”, a weekly series that for ten Mondays will explore a hundred of the most influential POCs in the entertainment industry. Below are numbers from 30 to 21, and you can find the previous article here. Stay tuned for next Monday’s list!
Charles D. King - Araya / Stringer
30. Charles D. King: Charles D. King became the founder and CEO of MACRO 15 years after graduating from high school. He sets the overarching vision, mission, and strategic goals for MACRO and its several business verticals as CEO. King was a Partner/Agent in the Motion Picture Department of William Morris Endeavor (WME) until starting MACRO in 2015. In the company's 100+ year history, he is the first and only African American to climb from the Beverly Hills office film and TV group training program to Partner. King has been acknowledged in Fortune, The New York Times Magazine, Fast Company, NPR, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Complex, Essence, and countless other magazines for his inventive deal-making, strong eye for talent, and strategic long-horizon thinking. King is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) member and serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Sundance Institute, the NBA Players Association, Think 450, and College Track, where he serves as National Vice President.
Robert L. Johnson - Michael Buckner
29. Robert L. Johnson: Media magnate Robert Louis Johnson is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and one of the most important entertainment executives in the US. He received his master’s in public affairs from Princeton in 1972, after which he started working in the television industry in Washington D.C. as public affairs director for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. At the same time, he also actively endorsed the social justice cause by becoming the director of communications for the D.C. office of the National Urban League, a New York-based civil rights organization that advocates against racial discrimination against the African American population, all while putting a foot in governmental affairs as he worked as a press secretary for Congressmen Walter E. Fauntroy. His experience led him to co-found BET (Black Entertainment Television) with his then-wife Sheila Johnson in 1980, the first network catered to Black audiences and now one of the leading ones in the sector. When BET went public in 1991, it became the first-ever Black-controlled company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. BET was later sold to Viacom in 2000 for a staggering $2.3 billion.
In 2002, Johnson founded the RLJ Companies, a business network that invests in multiple industries, such as hotel real estate, private equity, insurance, sports, and entertainment. RLJ Lodging Trust is a REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust, a company that owns and operates income-generating real estate such as hotels) that Johnson went public in 2011, thus marking the second business that Johnson successfully took public. The company, which started with six hotels, now operates 149 hotels in more than half of the states, including brands such as Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton.
The third company that Johnson took public is RLJ Entertainment (NASDAQ: RLJE), which was formed after RLJ Companies acquired Acorn Media Group and Image Entertainment. Acorn TV is a British-American video streaming service, while Image Entertainment is a film production company and home video distributor. RLJ Entertainment is now a subsidiary of AMC Networks. Part of RLJ Entertainment is also ALLBLK (formerly Urban Movie Channel), an OTT (Over-The-Top) subscription that was formed by Johnson himself, featuring content focused on African American audiences.
Magic Johnson - Presley Ann / Stringer
28. Magic Johnson: Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE), an investment company that provides high-quality products and services primarily to ethnically diverse and impoverished urban populations, is chaired by Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Johnson also founded and owns Aspire, an American pay television channel aimed at African Americans that debuted on June 27, 2012. Johnson collaborated with Sony Pictures to create Magic Johnson Theatres in his early years as a business. In 1998, he partnered with Starbucks to become the first franchisee to acquire and eventually sell 125 locations, a successful move that cemented his status in the corporate world. Both initiatives acted as catalysts for urban reconstruction and are widely regarded as the corporate model for engaging and succeeding with urban customers across America. Johnson is also an advocate of HIV prevention. After revealing his HIV infection in November 1991, Johnson established the Magic Johnson Foundation to aid in the fight against HIV, which later expanded to encompass other charity purposes.
Johnson became co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a $2 billion Major League Baseball organization, in 2012. He also owns the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, the Los Angeles Football Club of Major League Soccer, and the eSports team Team Liquid. MJE and Loop Capital formed MJE-Loop Capital Partners in 2015. The joint venture formed a fund that invested millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements in the United States. Johnson is also a major investor in several minority-owned technology firms, including Uncharted Power, an award-winning power and data infrastructure technology company, and Jopwell, a diversity and inclusion recruiting platform. They Call Me Magic, a 2022 AppleTV+ project depicting a first-person story of Johnson's life, portrayed Johnson's accomplishments.
Will Packer - Slaven Vlasic
27. Will Packer: Will Packer is a film producer and businessman. His movies have grossed more than $1 billion at the global box office, and his film Girls Trip (2017) broke the record for highest opening weekend box office for an R-rated comedy with $30.4 million. Ten of Packer’s movies have opened at number one, nine of which in a row, and some of his successes include Think Like a Man (2012), The Wedding Ringer (2015), and What Men Want (2019). Packer also holds the credit of Producer of the 94th Academy Awards (aired in 2022).
Packer’s first business was the production company Rainforest Films, which he founded in 1994 in Atlanta, Georgia with director and producer Rob Hardy. Their first movie that had a theatrical release was Trois (2000), which grossed more than $1.2 million, and Rainforest Films was number 34 in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 100 Film Distributors of 2000. Before dissolving the company in 2014, Packer and Hardy produced and distributed many successful films, among which Think Like a Man (2012) and Ride Along (2014), as well as launching the digital television network Bounce TV, targeting an African American audience between the ages of 25 and 54.
In 2013, Packer founded Will Packer Productions, a film production company that partnered with Universal Pictures for distribution and produced movies such as Girls Trip (2017) and What Men Want (2019). In partnership with Universal Pictures, in 2017 he also founded Will Packer Media, a digital production company focused on branded content and both scripted and unscripted series to be distributed on digital platforms. Will Packer has appeared in a number of high-profile lists and is considered one of the most influential African American film producers working today.
Justin Lin - Rich Fury
26. Justin Lin: Justin Lin is a Taiwanese American film director, producer, and screenwriter who is best known for his work on the Fast & Furious franchise. He has also directed Better Luck Tomorrow (2002), Star Trek Beyond (2016), the TV series Community (2009), and True Detective's second season (2014). Lin's directorial debut, Better Luck Tomorrow, premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. When an audience member questioned Lin if he thought it was irresponsible to portray Asian Americans negatively during the festival, prominent film critic Roger Ebert vehemently defended the film. Ebert's approbation drew the attention of numerous studios, which finally led to MTV Films purchasing the film for distribution. As a result, Variety magazine named him one of the "Top 10 Directors to Watch" in 2002, citing the film.
Lin and his production business Barnstorm Pictures inked a two-year first-look agreement with Universal Pictures following the success of Fast Five. Lin continued with Fast & Furious 6, the sixth installment. It set the record for the highest Memorial Day Weekend gross for a Universal Pictures film, grossing $120 million in the United States and $317 million worldwide. Lin got a TV agreement with Apple, Inc. in December 2018, after leaving Sony Pictures Television. Lin's Perfect Storm Entertainment secured a film and television first-look contract with Universal Studios in the fall of 2020. Lin is currently the Executive Producer of the Bruce Lee-inspired series Warrior. Outside of film and TV, Lin started the Asian American blog YOMYOMF in 2009, which stands for "You Offend Me You Offend My Family." It was adapted into a YouTube channel in 2011.
Ava DuVernay - Stefanie Keenan
25. Ava DuVernay: In 2011, filmmaker Ana DuVernay founded Array, a multi-platform organization that is focused on art and social impact through “narrative change.” The company has four branches: Array Releasing for distribution, Array Filmworks for content, Array Creative Campus as a programming and physical production hub, and the non-profit Array Alliance. Part of the latter are an unrestricted grant program (Array Grants) to support artists and activists that work in the fields of filmmaking and social justice, as well as the free educational platform Array 101.
After an initial career in journalism, which included an assisting role to cover the O.J. Simpson trial, DuVernay then moved to public relations and opened her own firm, The DuVernay Agency, in 1999. Part of her public relations job consisted in promoting motion pictures, among which Collateral (2004), Dreamgirls (2006), and Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal (2004). When she picked up the camera herself at the age of 32, she started directing both features and documentaries, such as the Academy Awards Best Picture nominated Selma (2014) and Netflix’s documentary 13th (2016), a documentary about the mass incarceration of people of color and the justice system in the US. DuVernay actively fights for social justice both through her artistic work and business endeavors, with special attention to social and historical issues concerning African Americans.
Jordan Peele - Jon Kopaloff / Stringer
24. Jordan Peele: American actor and filmmaker Jordan Peele (in 2012) founded the film production company Monkeypaw Productions, known for films such as Get Out (2017) and Candyman (2021). The company’s first production was the comedy series Key & Peele (2012-2015), followed by the comedy film Keanu (2015. Starting from 2017, Peele directed three feature films of great renown: Get Out (2017), Us (2019), and Nope (2022), all Monkeypaw Productions. Get Out was a huge award success, with four Academy Awards nominations and winning Best Original Screenplay, as well as a box office success with $255 million on a budget of $4.5 million – Peele’s breakthrough as a director. In 2019, Monkeypaw Productions signed a 5-year deal with distributor Universal Pictures.
Before breaking into the movie industry, Peele worked extensively in television, especially in comedy. It was when he joined the cast of Mad TV in 2003 that he met Keegan-Michael Key, with whom he collaborated on multiple projects, most notably Key & Peele, which was a success and went viral online. Peele was also nominated for nine Emmy Awards and won the award for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series in 2016.
Oprah Winfrey - Steve Granitz
23. Oprah Winfrey: Oprah Winfrey is an African American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is most known for her Chicago-based talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Winfrey, called the "Queen of All Media," was the world's first Black billionaire and regarded as the most influential woman in the world. Winfrey is recognized for popularizing and redefining the tabloid talk show genre. Throughout her career, Winfrey has received numerous awards, including 18 Daytime Emmys (including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman's Award), two Primetime Emmys (including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award), a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1994. Since 2021, Winfrey has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
On January 1, 2011, Winfrey launched the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), a Warner Bros. Discovery and Harpo Studios-owned American transnational cable channel that replaced the Discovery Health Channel. The network broadcasts entertainment and lifestyle content aimed at African American viewers, as well as reruns of Harpo Studios talk show programming (including The Oprah Winfrey Show). In October 2012, OWN entered the scripted programming market with an exclusive development agreement with Tyler Perry, launching The Haves and the Have Nots and Love Thy Neighbor. Years later, OWN renewed the canceled CBS courtroom drama All Rise for a third season, which will premiere in 2022. Discovery bought a greater interest in the network in 2017, and again in December 2020, when Discovery increased its investment in OWN from 73% to 95%. Harpo remains a minority investor, and Winfrey has a deal with the channel until at least 2025.
Cesar Conde - Jenal Countess / Stringer
22. Cesar Conde: Media executive Cesar Conde is the chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, which includes MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC News, the most-watched news organization in the US. Under his leadership, the company invested in streaming and the digitalization of its platforms, which led it to becoming also the number one digital news in the US. Conde is the first Hispanic to becoming the leader of a major US English-language news outlet and serves as Director on the Board of Walmart and PepsiCo.
Conde earned a BA from Harvard and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After ten years working at Univision Communications first as Executive VP and later as President, he joined NBCUniversal in 2013 as Chairman of NBCU International Group and Telemundo Enterprises. While at Telemundo, he led the network to become the number one Spanish-language to be followed by target demographics during primetime. He is bringing forth inclusivity and diversity values to the company’s offices thanks to the Fifty Percent Challenge: newsrooms being half women, and half people of color. The initiative is based on the journalism training program NBCU Academy for students of color.
Jim Lee - Jamie McCarthy
21. Jim Lee: Jim Lee is a Korean American comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher who serves as DC Comics' Chief Creative Officer and Publisher. Lee is regarded as one of the most acclaimed and respected creators in American comics, known for his extraordinarily detailed and dynamic visual style. His work has garnered various honors and recognition, including the Harvey Special Award for New Talent in 1990, the Inkpot Award in 1992, and the Wizard Fan Award in 1996, 2002, and 2003. Lee was the artist for many of DC Comics' bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, Batman: Hush, and Superman: For Tomorrow. He is also the Executive Creative Director for DC Universe Online (DCUO), Sony Online Entertainment's (SOE) massive multiplayer action game.
After immigrating from Seoul, South Korea, and graduating from Princeton University in 1986, Lee started his professional career at Marvel Comics. His work on the X-Men set the all-time single-issue sales record with an amazing 8 million copies sold in one month. In 1992, he formed his own production business, WildStorm Productions, and co-launched Image Comics, an independent comics firm that swiftly rose to become North America's third-largest publisher. Wildcats and GEN 13 were two of his works that became a CBS Saturday morning cartoon and a DTV animated movie released by Disney, respectively. DC Comics bought WildStorm Productions in 1998, and Lee departed Image Comics to join the DC Entertainment creative team. Titan Books published Icons: The DC & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee, a 300-page artbook of Jim Lee's DC Comics work, in 2010. Lee was instrumental in the debut of DC Entertainment's New 52 project in 2011, designing new, more modern outfits for some of the DC universe's most recognizable characters, including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.