Meet Verna Myers

The diversity and inclusion  activist and the lead diversity strategist of Netflix, Verna Myers’, has shifted how major networks reflect on and discuss race, ethnicity, and inclusion on and off-screen.  

The current cinematic age is a new golden era for BIPOC cinematographers, directors, cast, and crew with BIPOC stories finally making their way to the limelight and done so in some ingenious ways. Myers joined the Netflix executive team as a diversity inclusion strategist after the incident of a PR staff member using the N-word during a meeting in 2018.

The incident and Netflix’s quick response in hiring a diversity representative emblems the growth of major corporations acknowledging that there’s always room for improvement. Identifying as BIPOC in predominantly White spaces has always proved difficult, leading to the development of survival mechanisms like code-switching and covering (a term used to describe shielding one’s true identity in professional settings).

Her call to action pushes individuals to look within themselves, deconstructing biases, analyzing them, and then reconstructing new ideals with a sense of compassion and empathy. When it comes to discussions of racial injustice, public BIPOC deaths, and other maltreatment of minority communities, it’s difficult to grasp all the concepts that come with challenging the system.

Yet, Verna Myers finds new ways to break down difficult conversations, opening the floor for more effective conversations. There needs to be discomfort in the journey to regain comfort. That discomfort becomes an empathy tool that expands one’s understanding of a different lifestyle and/or experience.

Her influence holds strong to the ultimate goal of welcoming all types of people across a multitude of backgrounds.

Peep Verna Myers’ inspirational TED Talk on how we can challenge & change our biases.