--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been on predominantly 'white' shows…" description: "\"I've been on predominantly 'white' shows before, and I had also been on predominantly 'black' shows. I would complain that when I was on a white show, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/kenya-barris-8436_character_i-ve-been-on-predominantly-white-shows-b_1091202.jpg" --- # I've been on predominantly 'white' shows before, and I had… ![“I've been on predominantly 'white' shows before, and I had also been on predominantly 'black' shows. I would complain that when I was on a white show, they would only hire me because there was a black character or they needed a black voice. But then I would be mad if they went and hired a white…” quote by Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/kenya-barris-8436_character_i-ve-been-on-predominantly-white-shows-b_1091202.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/kenya-barris-8436_character_i-ve-been-on-predominantly-white-shows-b_1091202.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/940/kenya-barris-8436_character_i-ve-been-on-predominantly-white-shows-b_1091202.jpg) > “I've been on predominantly 'white' shows before, and I had also been on predominantly 'black' shows. I would complain that when I was on a white show, they would only hire me because there was a black character or they needed a black voice. But then I would be mad if they went and hired a white dude in my position.” [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experiences of typecasting reveal systemic bias in casting decisions. **In simple terms:** Casting bias shows systemic issues. Key Takeaway Advocate for fair representation. Themes racism representation industry bias Mood reflective serious Type critical inspirational When to use this quote - casting meetings - scriptwriting - diversity training - policy advocacy Key Concepts social justice media studies identity politics Questions to Reflect On - How can creators influence casting equity? - What steps can actors take to challenge bias? A Different Perspective Change may be slow due to entrenched industry practices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [One of the problems with NPR is that there is so much political correctness that if you've got a name that looks like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-snow/one-of-the-problems-with-npr-is-that-there-is-so-much-political/) [Tony Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-snow/) > [I could never live with you; not 'cause I'm racist or nothing. It's just 'cause as a black man in America, I need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/i-could-never-live-with-you-not-cause-i-m-racist-or-nothing-it-s-just/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [It's very hard to be a kid, especially in a predominantly white school or white town where other people want to police your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/it-s-very-hard-to-be-a-kid-especially-in-a-predominantly-white-school/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [My sense is that file sharing started in predominantly white, middle- and upper-middle-cl ass young people who were native-born, who felt they were entitled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/my-sense-is-that-file-sharing-started-in-predominantly-white-middle/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) > [A film centered around the Second World War with a predominantly white cast would not have the pressure on it that 'Red Tails' has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/a-film-centered-around-the-second-world-war-with-a-predominantly/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I grew up in Boston, and in my adolescence your parents are trying to send you to like 'better' schools and a few of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayo-edebiri/i-grew-up-in-boston-and-in-my-adolescence-your-parents-are-trying-to/) [Ayo Edebiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayo-edebiri/) > [I went to a school that was predominantly white, and I was one of the first wave of black kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-blades/i-went-to-a-school-that-was-predominantly-white-and-i-was-one-of-the/) [Jay Blades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-blades/) > [I am black in a predominantly white industry, and I have been luckier than most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-enninful/i-am-black-in-a-predominantly-white-industry-and-i-have-been-luckier/) [Edward Enninful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-enninful/) > [Growing up in a predominantly white area of the predominantly white state of Wisconsin, it was, I'm sad to say, relatively easy for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-thomas/growing-up-in-a-predominantly-white-area-of-the-predominantly-white/) [Joe Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-thomas/) > [I have a lot in common with most Trump supporters. I'm white, I live in a rural area that is predominantly white where many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/i-have-a-lot-in-common-with-most-trump-supporters-i-m-white-i-live-in/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) > [I know what it's like to be in predominantly white situations in the educational system. My parents are educators, and I went to performing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/da-vine-joy-randolph/i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-in-predominantly-white-situations-in-the/) [Da'Vine Joy Randolph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/da-vine-joy-randolph/) > [When well-qualified, upper middle-class blacks or Latinos or Asians move to predominantly white neighborhoods, there's what's called the tipping point. That tipping point is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-benjamin/when-well-qualified-upper-middle-class-blacks-or-latinos-or-asians/) [Richard Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-benjamin/) > [I went to a predominantly white secondary school and experienced a lot of hate and racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-blades/i-went-to-a-predominantly-white-secondary-school-and-experienced-a/) [Jay Blades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-blades/) > [I went to a predominantly white school, and I was the only black girl. I can remember thinking, 'I don't want to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-rowland/i-went-to-a-predominantly-white-school-and-i-was-the-only-black-girl/) [Kelly Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-rowland/) > [I lived in Brooklyn from 2007 to 2012 but for the last few years have resided in Austin, Texas, where my world - especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/i-lived-in-brooklyn-from-2007-to-2012-but-for-the-last-few-years-have/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) ## More by Kenya Barris > [I wanted to do a show about a family that is absolutely black. Because as Du Bois has shown, we do have to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-wanted-to-do-a-show-about-a-family-that-is-absolutely-black-because/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [We're supposed to be becoming more evolved as a society, and we're actually becoming less evolved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/we-re-supposed-to-be-becoming-more-evolved-as-a-society-and-we-re/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I consider myself a disciple of Norman Lear. And one of the things he did was topic-driven humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-consider-myself-a-disciple-of-norman-lear-and-one-of-the-things-he/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I want to start really developing more on the film side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-want-to-start-really-developing-more-on-the-film-side/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [And I feel like, as a black man within black culture, I know very well firsthand - as do my parents and my grandparents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/and-i-feel-like-as-a-black-man-within-black-culture-i-know-very-well/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [There's never really been a true apology for slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/there-s-never-really-been-a-true-apology-for-slavery/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I have a 'hope for the best, expect the worst' mentality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-have-a-hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst-mentality/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [For me, one of the big things I really worried about a lot was nuclear war growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/for-me-one-of-the-big-things-i-really-worried-about-a-lot-was-nuclear/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I have five kids, and people can say 'nature versus nurture,' but it is nature! Nurture has so little to do with it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-have-five-kids-and-people-can-say-nature-versus-nurture-but-it-is/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [The acknowledgement and celebration of Juneteenth as an American and possibly international holiday is something that I would put in the life goals column…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/the-acknowledgement-and-celebration-of-juneteenth-as-an-american-and/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [My kids did not know that Obama was the first black president. I felt like I needed to tell them because I felt like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/my-kids-did-not-know-that-obama-was-the-first-black-president-i-felt/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [Writers' rooms are terrifying. You take someone whose never done this before, and this is their life's dream that is about to happen or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/writers-rooms-are-terrifying-you-take-someone-whose-never-done-this/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [ABC has a general policy that you can't show images of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/abc-has-a-general-policy-that-you-can-t-show-images-of-the-world/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [As much as we want to say racism is dead, it's still rearing its ugly head constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/as-much-as-we-want-to-say-racism-is-dead-it-s-still-rearing-its-ugly/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [Everybody - every single person - has a story. Find yours and tell it in your voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/everybody-every-single-person-has-a-story-find-yours-and-tell-it-in/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) [Explore all 81 Kenya Barris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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