The Creatives COALITION
BIPOC creatives earn significantly less and receive fewer production credits despite similar outputs
Despite being 40% of US population, BIPOC actors make up less than 30% of top film roles
Only 6% of Hollywood film directors and 8% of TV showrunners are Black, Latinx, Indigenous, or Asian
“We are the soul of the culture — but too often, creative equity & equality
are left out of the contract.”
Nicci Gilbert-Daniels, CEO WIRF Media & From The Bottom Up Foundation
Welcome to Creatives Equality Awareness Month, a national campaign led by From The Bottom Up Foundation (The Creatives Coalition) to champion intellectual property rights, financial equity, and legal access for BIPOC creatives across every corner of the entertainment industry.
This September, we invite the world to recognize and uplift the very people who have shaped the sounds, visuals, stories, and styles that power a billion-dollar industry — yet are too often unprotected, underfunded, and unseen.
Take a moment to download the Equity for Creatives Brief by clicking the link below to learn more about why more intentional diversity, inclusion, and equity matters and what actions are needed to address these injustices.
Why This Matters
Systemic Barriers to Access & Opportunity
Many aspiring BIPOC creatives never get the chance to bring their visions to life—not because of a lack of talent, but because of structural obstacles that keep them out. Access to funding is a major hurdle. Even when projects are approved, they’re often granted smaller budgets or limited distribution.
Behind closed doors, networking remains a key factor in Hollywood success. Yet these circles are historically exclusionary, and breaking in is difficult without institutional support. The result? Gatekeeping that reinforces the same voices and marginalizes others.
Even when BIPOC creatives do break through, their work often faces biased evaluation—seen as niche, less commercial, or inauthentic. These layers of inequity are not isolated—they are systemic, and addressing them requires a complete industry culture shift.
Financial Implications
Marginalizing BIPOC creatives doesn’t just perpetuate social injustice—it’s also economically inefficient. Studies show that equitable inclusion in film and television could unlock billions in revenue annually. When fresh perspectives are excluded, innovative stories are left untold and new markets remain untapped.
Despite clear market demand for diverse storytelling, funding still overwhelmingly flows toward white-led projects. This not only limits BIPOC access to high-visibility platforms but also depresses overall industry creativity and growth.
Moreover, sidelining BIPOC creatives alienates increasingly multicultural audiences. Authentic representation attracts broader viewership and builds lasting engagement. True equity, then, is not just a social mission—it’s a smart business strategy.
Strategies for Improve Equity
Change requires active participation from both allies and those in positions of power. Allies can play a transformative role by investing in mentorship—offering not just encouragement, but tangible pathways to professional growth for BIPOC creatives.
Institutions must also turn the lens inward. Conducting audits of hiring and greenlighting practices can uncover patterns of bias and inform actionable reform. Equity is not a passive state—it requires intentional restructuring of the systems that shape opportunity.
Everyone with a platform—whether an executive, influencer, or educator—must use it to amplify underrepresented voices. By making equity a shared responsibility, we can reimagine an industry that reflects the richness of the communities it seeks to serve.
Creatives Equality Awareness Month
#ProtectingCreators
Throughout the month of September, join From The Bottom Up Foundation, Founder, and CEO of WIRF Media, Nicci Gilbert-Daniels along with special guest as we talk about the importance and value of our intellectual property (IP), share the challenges, and how The Creatives Coalition working to change the narrative
KICKOFF STARTS IN
Contact Us
Addressing Inequity in Entertainment
The Creatives Coalition, a program of From The Bottom Up Foundation and WIRF Media, seeks to develop and champion for legislation entitled, the "Creatives Partnership Act", a legislative & policy agenda that advocates for the creation of more equitable partnerships between major corporations, entertainment brands, and BIPOC content creators & entrepreneurs that closes the wealth gap by equitably monetizing creatives' Intellectual Property (IP).
The Power of IP
IP ownership is key and it power to change lives has been proven with the successes of Black Media Moguls like Tyler Perry and Bryon Allen. According to Nielsen, Black and Brown communities' consumption and usage of media outpaces all other groups across all platforms.
An Ongoing Crisis: #Generational Wealth Gap
Wealth is not only a question of financial savings; it provides access to the political process and, therefore, exerts political influence. Households with wealth have a measure of economic security and can donate time and money, thereby influencing the political process and the policies that are important to their communities.
The Solution
Training & Education
Provide educational tools, resources, and workshops for BIPOC Creatives
