“Who Run the World?-Girls!”
Penned by: Fetle Negash, WHSBAA Public Relations
When we're asked to think of trailblazing Black Women in the entertainment industry our minds naturally wander to people like Angela Bassett, Ava DuVernay, Beyonce, Halle Berry, Kerry Washington, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Regina King, and Viola Davis to name a few. Women who are widely known for their incredible work and whose beautiful faces regularly appear on our television screens.
But... have you ever stopped to consider the Black women who, unbeknownst to most of us, are currently running Hollywood behind the scenes? Probably not.... but don't fret... today that changes!
Meet 5 Black Women who are at the helm of some of the biggest companies in Hollywood.
1. Channing Dungey, Chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group
Channing Dungey’s credits include Octavia Spencer’s Self Made: Inspired By The Life of Madam CJ Walker, Hilary Swank’s Away, Darren Starr’s Emily In Paris, CBS’ Criminal Minds and Shonda Rhimes’s Bridgerton, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder. Prior to becoming Chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group, Ms. Dungey has previously served as President of ABC Entertainment and VP of Original Content at Netflix.
2. Michelle Sneed, President, Tyler Perry Studios
Michelle Sneed’s credits include The Game and Being for BET Networks as well as Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns, House Of Payne, and The Haves and The Have Nots. In advance of her appointment as President of Tyler Perry Studios, Ms. Sneed served as BET Networks’ Director of Physical Production.
3. Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman at Universal Studio Group
Pearlena Igbokwe’s credits include The Blacklist and Dick Wolf’s “Chicago” procedural drama franchises, NBC’s The Good Place, Superstore and New Amsterdam as well as Netflix’s Russian Doll and CBS’ FBI and FBI: Most Wanted. Before taking on the role of Chairman at Universal Studio Group, Ms. Igbokwe spent time as Head of Drama Development at NBC Entertainment as well as a Creative Executive at Showtime.
4. Rashida Jones, President, MSNBC
Rashida Jones’ credits include MSNBC’s Justice for All and Climate in Crisis. She was also a member of the team that helped NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker prepare for her role as moderator in the final presidential debate of 2020. Ms. Jones was instrumental in the coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic, the unrest and social justice protests that broke out over the treatment of Black Americans and the 2020 election before starting her post as President of MSNBC.
5. Vanessa Morrison, President of Streaming at Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production
Vanessa Morrison’s credits include 20th Century Studio films Ferdinand, The Peanuts Movie, The Book of Life, Epic, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Garfield and Cheaper by the Dozen films. Ms. Morrison was recently President of Fox Family and was also the President of Fox Animation before becoming President of Streaming at Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production.
These phenomenal Black women have all been essential in shaping the current landscape of Hollywood. Their contributions to the entertainment industry are UNFORGETTABLE and UNDENIABLE. These women are forces to be reckoned with and I look forward to seeing how they continue to pave the way for more content Created By, Produced By, and Starring Black people to exist...
