And blacks account for nearly 12 percent of all roles in commercials. Blacks and Hispanics enjoy historic unemployment lows. In today's market, people who want to work find jobs. Maybe many blacks don't want to work in Hollywood, a notoriously competitive environment with little job security. Performers have short careers, and for every nervous performer, you can find several nervous executives standing behind him.
Agents steal clients, producers steal actors, actors battle other actors for parts.
Studios fawn over the best writers, only to discard them for the latest hot comedy team. No, in today's market, competent blacks choose from many job options, Hollywood being perhaps one of the least attractive. Blacks compete in the extremely tough arenas of sports and entertainment. In the years since, it has continued to grow, but not at a more rapid pace than in the preceding three decades, despite a common impression to the contrary. JWR contributor Larry Elder reads all of his mail.