Entertainment

TV Networks Make Unequal Progress Toward On-Screen Diversity

Published

12 years ago

January 21, 2015

In this image released by ABS, Anthony Anderson, left, and Tracee Ellis Ross appear in a scene from “Black-ish.” The series was created by Kenya Barris, who was motivated to write the comedy about an African-American family’s efforts to honor its heritage in part by the unreality of what he grew up watching on television. (AP Photo/ABC, Kelsey McNeal)

DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writers
LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writers
FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writers

Kenya Barris, creator of ABC’s “black-ish,” was motivated to write the comedy about an African-American family’s efforts to honor its heritage in part by the unreality of what he grew up watching on television.

“I saw ‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ and thought, ‘What part of New York is this?'” recalled Barris, who is black. “It’s not about being diverse. It’s about being true to the world.”

His show comes 15 years after civil rights groups, galvanized by a lineup of new network series almost entirely devoid of minority characters, sought and ultimately won agreements from major broadcasters to put programs on the air that better reflect the nation’s population.

An AP analysis of regular cast members on prime-time comedies and dramas on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox found progress since then in hiring black actors, but slighted other minorities. Casts at three of the four networks are still whiter than the nation as a whole.

That’s in contrast to a fall 2014 season that seemed to signal broad change. Besides “black-ish” and a trio of shows from black megaproducer Shonda Rhimes, it offered Asian-American crime fighters and Latino families.

Among the key findings of the AP analysis:

— ABC, NBC and Fox now have a higher percentage of blacks in prime time than there is in the general population — a significant change over 1999. The difference is most dramatic at Fox: 6.5 percent of characters in lead or supporting roles were black in 1999 to 21 percent black this past fall, a number that notched up again with January’s premiere of “Empire,” a drama about an African-American family’s music dynasty.

— Other ethnic groups don’t do nearly as well. While Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group at more than 17 percent of the population, only Fox and ABC have Latino representation of as much as 10 percent.

— CBS, the nation’s most popular network, had the most diversity 15 years ago and now has the least. CBS programs are whiter now than they were then.

Time has not made broadcast’s role moot. Network fare remains dominant for most consumers despite an explosion of niche cable channels and streaming services that cater to seemingly every possible demographic. What Americans see — or fail to see — on the networks has a powerful impact on how individuals regard themselves as part of the nation’s mosaic.

Gina Rodriguez, the Golden Globe-winning star of the CW’s new telenovela-inspired comedy “Jane the Virgin,” knows what it’s like to be left out of the TV picture.

“Ten years ago, when I was looking at that screen and didn’t see myself at all, I knew there was no place (for me). Or I was too out of the box, too much of a risk,” she said. “People say this (show) is too much of a risk. … Which is so sad, because it’s the same story, just told by a new face.”

CHANGING ATTITUDES

In 1965, after NBC cast Bill Cosby in “I Spy,” young Kweisi Mfume’s mother sent her son to knock on doors in their Baltimore neighborhood to spread the word: “There’s a colored man on TV!” Cosby had become the first black to star on a network drama. In 1999, as head of the NAACP, Mfume was among the leaders pressuring networks on diversity.

“One can make the argument it’s been progress over 15 years, but it’s still been 15 years and that’s a lot of time to go by to see some of these changes incrementally,” said Mfume. “We can get pleasantly and romantically drunk by looking at all (Rhimes) is doing. … But at the same time, she’s one person at one broadcast network.”

Hollywood’s commitment to diversity has been an issue on numerous fronts in recent weeks: Not a single Oscar nominee in an acting category is black, and the critically acclaimed “Selma” got just two Oscar nods for best picture and best original song. Emails exposed by the Sony Pictures hacking revealed racist jokes referencing President Barack Obama by Amy Pascal, head of that studio’s film division. Comic Chris Rock wrote a detailed essay for The Hollywood Reporter saying that entertainment is a white industry, “just as the NBA is a black industry.”

Granted, TV history contains minority success stories. Desi Arnaz loved Lucy in the 1950s; “Good Times,” ”The Jeffersons” and “Chico and the Man” were popular in the 1970s, the same decade that the “Roots” miniseries set viewership records; and Cosby was TV’s father figure in the 1980s.

But whether due to timidity or cluelessness on the part of executives, or segregation unwittingly enabled by the growth of niche networks, that picture did not translate to lasting diversity on the networks. By the fall of 1999, ABC, NBC and Fox each had prime-time casts that were 86 percent white — at a time when the U.S. Census put the non-Latino white population at 71.9 percent.

In fall 2014, with the non-Latino white population estimated at 62.6 percent, CBS’ series cast and characters were 79.2 percent white; ABC’s were 72.7 percent; and NBC’s were 69.7 percent. In contrast, Fox’s slate stands at 60 percent white.

The Census Bureau counts blacks as 13.2 percent of the U.S. population. Blacks made up 15 percent of cast members in fall shows on ABC and NBC.

“We try to make sure the numbers we have reflect our society,” said Karen Horne, NBC’s vice president of programming talent development and inclusion. “We’re servicing people we’re broadcasting to.”

Dana Walden, chairman and CEO of the Fox Television Group, said race wasn’t even brought up when she was told that Nicole Beharie, who is black, was cast as the female lead in “Sleepy Hollow.”

“To me, that represents a quantum leap from where I’ve seen this industry start when I was a young executive,” Walden said.

Stephanie Beatriz, who plays a police detective on Fox’s sophomore comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” worked extensively in theater and enjoyed the freedom of appearing in a range of “colorblind” stage roles as well as playing specifically Latina characters.

“Then, coming to L.A., I realized there’s still a lot more narrow-mindedness in where I’m ‘allowed’ to fit in. But at the same time I do see it changing,” said Beatriz, one of two Latinas in her show’s nine-member ensemble. “There’s been an explosion of different types of people in television.”

CBS CASTS WHITER

Such even-handed treatment is what the NAACP and other groups sought. In response to a hearing held by that group in 1999, top CBS boss Leslie Moonves pledged improvement.

“We’re not only putting it in writing,” Moonves said. “We’re putting our money where our mouth is.”

But CBS’ Fall 2014 lineup did not show improvement: The number of white characters was up, and black representation had slipped to just under 7 percent, less than half what it was in 1999, according to the AP’s tally from the network’s own cast lists.

“We are victims of our own success to a certain extent,” said CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler by way of explanation.

CBS has been the most-watched network in prime time for much of the past decade and, as a result, has had less programming churn. The network’s audience is also older than its rivals. All of that is a recipe for conservative program and cast choices, while a network with more series turnover, like ABC, is apt to take more chances.

When CBS launched a new comedy about an Irish-American family from Boston (“The McCarthys”) this fall, all the stars were white. “Mom,” another CBS comedy, also has an entirely white cast.

But Tassler (who is a Latina) said the network has not become complacent about the issue and makes diversity a big part of its casting discussions. “What I think is most important is keeping the conversation going, never feeling like it’s ‘mission accomplished,'” she said.

Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i, who oversees CBS’ diversity efforts, noted that progress in diversity is more than a black-and-white issue. She pointed to the prominent role on “The Good Wife” of Archie Panjabi, who is Indian, and Asian actress Maggie Q’s lead role on this fall’s new “Stalker.” Asian actress Lucy Liu co-stars on “Elementary.” On “The McCarthys,” one of the family members is gay, she said.

Jennifer Salke, NBC’s entertainment president, says shows with all-white casts “would just never fly” at NBC: All 13 of the network’s scripted shows this fall had at least one minority cast member.

“It would be a big surprise to us if somebody (pitching a series) said, ‘My ensemble character show has an all-white cast,'” she said.

None of the minority cast members on those 13 shows, however, enjoys marquee status: Even on “State of Affairs,” a drama in which Alfre Woodard plays President Constance Payton, Katherine Heigl is the designated star. On ABC, which has a nearly identical percentage of blacks on the air as NBC, Kerry Washington is the leading lady of “Scandal.” Viola Davis is clearly No. 1 on the call sheet on “How to Get Away With Murder.” And Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross share top billing on “black-ish.”

ON-SCREEN AND OFFSCREEN ISSUES

Barris (who before “black-ish” created “America’s Next Top Model” and wrote for the sitcom “The Game”) said the important question for networks is whether they are giving a voice to people who are watching their channels — including blacks, who watch more TV than whites, according to the Nielsen company.

“Black culture is not monolithic,” said Barris, “and there are a million different voices. But our show can be ONE of the voices.”

The same goes for Latinos, said Eva Longoria, the “Desperate Housewives” star who’s also a producer, with series including “Devious Maids” for Lifetime and the newly announced sitcom “Telenovela” for NBC.

“Don’t just tell the immigrant story,” she said. “Tell the story of the doctor and tell the story of the lawyer and tell the story of the romantic comedy and the genre story.”

People who follow the issue say a key way to boost a minority presence on-screen is to step it up offscreen. But too often that isn’t part of the equation.

Rhimes is arguably the most powerful producer in television these days. ABC has turned over to her its entire Thursday-night prime-time lineup, where she delivers weekly episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” ”Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder.”

“I remember growing up,” said Rhimes, now 45, “and thinking, ‘Why doesn’t TV look like the world that we live in?’ There were no older people, no larger people, no people of color, no gay or interracial couples. It didn’t make sense to me.”

When she created “Grey’s Anatomy” a decade ago, she was determined to make it “look like the world outside looks. And it was really easy to do. We said, ‘Actors of all colors — everybody show up for every role! We’re gonna cast the best actor for each part.'”

A report by UCLA’s Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies illustrates how much of an outlier Rhimes is: During the 2011-12 television season, minorities were credited as creating just 4 percent of broadcast comedies and dramas, the report said. The writing staffs for a majority of scripted shows were at least 90 percent white.

A new Directors Guild of America study found a similarly lopsided picture among entry-level directors of TV series between 2009 and 2014, with men representing 82 percent of first-time directors and whites at 87 percent.

That lack of progress within executive suites and the creative ranks is what most saddens Mfume when he looks back at the NAACP’s efforts in Hollywood. It’s also one of the reasons filmmaker Robert Rodriguez started the El Rey network aimed at English-speaking Latinos. “You can only tell a network so long to cast a Hispanic,” Rodriguez said. “But if there’s nobody writing the roles or creating the roles, it’s even fundamentally a larger problem.”

More recently, the networks began hosting showcases specifically designed to give exposure to talented minorities, like the comedy event CBS organizes for actors every January. Fox holds a forum, “Seizing Opportunities,” where the creative community is brought in to learn how diversity can be good business. ABC does separate workshops for black, Latino and Muslim writers seeking to break into the industry.

“Whether it was under pressure or whether it was the right thing to do, all of the programs that we set up planted seeds that are really blossoming now,” said Paul Lee, ABC entertainment president.

A participant in a CBS showcase this month, Judilin Bosita, an Asian-American actress, said she’d grown used to auditioning for “smart, technical roles” such as the nurse she’s played on “Days of Our Lives.”

The event — a night of comedy sketches performed for industry insiders — “shows them what we can do,” Bosita said, helping to replace outdated ideas with a new epiphany: “‘Oh, wow, there’s a whole slew'” of talented people of every background.

The importance of the efforts is underscored by Jason George, whose acting credits include a recurring role on “Grey’s Anatomy” and who works on diversity issues for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. George said that when he was hired at a soap opera in the 1990s, a writer proudly told him that they had purchased an urban dictionary to help them write scenes he was in authentically.

That’s OK, George assured him: “Just write normal dialogue.”

Now minority actors increasingly are being given more well-rounded roles, George said.

“You’re suddenly a person and not just a representative of a culture,” he said. “As an actor, that’s what you want.”

Up Next

‘The Interview’ on Track to Break Digital Release Record

Don't Miss

Larry Wilmore Takes Over Stephen Colbert, Becomes Only Black Anchor At Late Night

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Comments

Black History

At CBCF Conference, a Panel Asks What Black Public Figures Owe the People Who Follow Them

COLUMBUS TIMES — The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference featured a panel titled “Platforms & Purpose: A Conversation With Black Men Leveraging Their Reach.” Actor and activist Kendrick Sampson, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, media personality Jason Lee, singer Eric Benét, and rapper Yung Joc discussed how public figures can translate influence into real-world change.

Published

8 hours ago

September 23, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

At CBCF Conference, a Panel Asks What Black Public Figures Owe the People Who Follow Them

url('data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEAYABgAAD//gA7Q1JFQVRPUjogZ2QtanBl

WASHINGTON — Among the more than 100 policy forums and brain trusts at this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference was a conversation about influence itself: who has it, and what they do with it.

"Platforms & Purpose: A Conversation With Black Men Leveraging Their Reach" brought together actor and activist Kendrick Sampson, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, media personality Jason Lee, singer Eric Benét and rapper and radio host Yung Joc. The session looked at how entertainers, creators and elected officials can turn public attention into real-world change.

The panel took place at the 55th Annual Legislative Conference, a five-day event in Washington that began Wednesday. This year’s theme is "Rooted, Ready & Rising," and the conference coincides with the CBC Foundation’s 50th anniversary. CBCF President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery has said the gathering is meant to "combine celebration with purpose," while taking up issues including voting rights, economic opportunity, education, health disparities and criminal justice.

That mix of celebrity and policy is a long-running feature of the conference, which brings lawmakers, advocates, entrepreneurs, students and entertainers into the same rooms. The panel’s premise reflects a broader question as creators reach audiences that rival traditional media.

A career built on both stage and street

Sampson is a natural fit for that conversation. The Houston native is known for television and film work, including HBO’s Insecure, and for his activism off screen. He co-founded BLD PWR, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that combines entertainment, education and activism.

The organization says its mission is to "reimagine and realize the liberated future we know our people deserve." It works to mobilize entertainment-industry figures and organize communities around racial, gender, immigration, economic and environmental justice, mental health and wellness, and opposition to state violence. BLD PWR emphasizes storytelling and community healing, and it centers the voices of Black, Indigenous and other marginalized communities.

What to watch

The conference runs through Sunday at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Details on sessions and registration are available through the CBC Foundation.

Based on reporting by Columbus Times.

Black Press

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Laws of Solomon’ Reveals Tender Heart of Former Child Soldier

The monsters that came to him early in his sleep were the easy ones. It was the later demons that stole Solomon Nangobi’s sleep, the spirits of all the people he killed when he was a child soldier in Uganda, and when he was a fixer in New York as an adult. Their ghosts called to him with urgent voices, though he left that life behind long ago.

Published

22 hours ago

September 22, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Book cover of “Laws of Solomon.” Courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press

Author: Eriq La Salle, Copyright: c.2026, Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, SRP: $18.99, Page Count: 304 pages

Finally, after so much work, you’ve left your past behind.

That’s what you tell yourself: what’s done is done and you can’t undo history. It’s over. You try not to think about last month, last year, a decade back because what does it matter? As in the new novel, “Laws of Solomon” by Eriq La Salle, remembering is too full of pain.

Now, his days were filled working the soil in gardens near Malibu, and he loved the quiet life.

Still, he kept his guns.

And he was glad: when Solomon recognized two Zeta gunmen stalking a well-dressed man, woman, and child through the gardens, he couldn’t walk away. He stopped the gangsters with bullets, but not before the adults and their bodyguards were dead. The child, an 8-year-old boy named Gaby, was safe, but Gaby couldn’t tell Solomon what was going on.

What became quickly certain, however, was that Solomonwas now Gaby’s guardian, and the Zeta crime boss wanted them dead, too.

When he was the same age as Gaby, Solomon saw unspeakable things, the murder of his parents, the destruction of his homeland, and the atrocities that Uganda dictator Idi Amin’s soldiers committed. He learned to kill, he observed, and he was hardened, understanding as a small boy that revenge was often necessary and needed, and that blood would shed at those times.

But Gaby was pure, an innocent, a child.

Solomon reached out to his contacts to try to get the boy to safety, but being a contact of a marked man was likewise a dangerous thing: the monsters outside were worse than the ones inside him.

Two words for you: ‘Whoo weee.’ That’s what you’re going to say when you close the back cover of “Laws of Solomon,” knowing that you’ve just been taken on a wild up-and-down, around-and-round ride.

La Salle makes it impossible not to like Solomon, an African man who has, over time, lost nearly everything dear to him and who has no faith in much of anything. Readers get that part of the story eventually, and there’s historical authenticity in some of it, but we never really get to know Solomon, which makes the book feel dark and dangerous. Along the way, we meet and get to know his helpers, which buoys Solomon’s chase to find safety for the boy, and your heart won’t stop pounding.

Keep in mind that this is a thriller partially set in 1970s Uganda, so expect lots of violence but don’t expect a lot of people to live. If you’re up for that, find “Laws of Solomon.” You won’t be able to leave it behind.

Art

Event Preview: ‘Fashion v. Fascism’ – A Runway Revolution Is Coming to the Bay Area

“Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling,” explains Erica Furlong, the FVF creative director. “One designer’s trench coat is covered in pockets stamped ‘TRUTH,’ ‘MEMORY,’ ‘HOPE,’ ‘VOTE,’ ‘FUTURE,’ because that’s literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs.”

Published

23 hours ago

September 22, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.

By Dr. Y’Anad Burrell

“Fashion vs. Fascism” (FVF) is a visually immersive evening of fashion, music and political theater exposing the rise of fascism in the U.S. and the need to resist. Democracy is under siege, and culture is one of our most potent defenses, organizers say.

Called a live “runway revolution,” FvF premieres Oct. 3 at The Rotunda, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.

A play that is part fashion show, part protest, part performance art, FvF stages five runway collections spotlighting the pillars of contemporary fascist politics and the urgent need to resist: the myth of a “glorious past,” the manufactured emergencies used to justify surveillance and crackdowns, and the oligarchs and grifters profiting from it all. Runway fashion shares the stage with political theater and live music, with a closing call to action.

“We need lawsuits, ballots and mass protests, but none of it lands if we’re not also fighting for people’s imagination,” says Linda Burnham, co-producer of the show. “People are exhausted and scared. FvF will expose the absurdities of fascist mythology and ideology in ways a news headline cannot and spark new ideas about how to resist.”

“Fascism doesn’t win by policy alone. It wins by telling a story. A myth about a ‘Golden Age.’ A permanent emergency that makes cruelty seem necessary. That’s not an accident, it’s a strategy, and it works on the same terrain as culture: image, spectacle, emotion,” says Aya De León, the show’s playwright.

At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent.

FVF was created, organizers say, because democracy should always be in style.

Featured designers include Erica Varize, Rickie Lee, Tianna Charity, Julie Wong, and Maria Flores. The evening features a script by lead playwright Aya De León, musical performances by Mindeullae Project and DJ Emancipation, and other special guests.

FvF is designed to travel. Following the Oakland premiere, FvF will extend its reach through a documentary short, a curriculum on contemporary fascism in the U.S., and a full replication playbook — design templates, script, and curriculum — so organizers in other cities can stage their own version of the show.

Get more details at www.fashionvfascism.org.

Art

Event Preview: ‘Fashion v. Fascism’ – A Runway Revolution Is Coming to the Bay Area

Published

23 hours ago

September 22, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.

Called a live “runway revolution,” FvF premieres Oct. 3 at The Rotunda, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.

At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent.

FVF was created, organizers say, because democracy should always be in style.

Get more details at www.fashionvfascism.org.

Black History

Tradition Comes to the Streets in 11th Annual Black-Eyed Pea Festival at the Freedom Farmers Market

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

(L. to R.) Black-Eyed Pea Festival Director Wanda Ravernell with Barbara Lee and Winky Binky Dogs owner, Tyranny. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Mayor Barbara Lee stops by to support vendors, Winky Dinky Dogs owner Tyranny Allen

A streamlined Oakland Black-Eyed Pea Festival took place on Sat. Sept. 12 in the lower Temescal neighborhood on the blocked off street that connect Shattuck and Telegraph avenues.

An early start brought together vendor regulars from festival partner, the Freedom Farmers’ Market, and vendors who have supported the festival at its previous location at Marston Campbell Park.

Wanda Ravernell, the festival producer/director was on the verge of cancelling the festival because of funding limitations in May before reaching out to Elaine Smith, president of Farms to grow, Inc., which supervisors the market.

From its start in 2014, the festival has focused on the traditions of African American culture through music, food and art. That emphasis included fresh food vendors, particularly growers of African American legacy crops like black-eyed peas, yams, watermelon, collard greens and okra, which all originate in Africa.

To Fresno farmer Will Scott of Scott Family Farms, the Freedom Farmers’ Market allows him to bring those crops to the inner city – and support the nutrition of African Americans.

Shortly after the festival opened Saturday morning with prayers and salutes to the ancestors by Wakan Wiya Two-Spirit Drum and Awon Ohun Omnira, led M. Zamora and Otobaji Stewart respectively, 86-year-old Scott, the son of a sharecropper, announced that he will put other endeavors aside to dedicate the rest of his life to raise those foods.

Smith shared that Farms to Grow assists Black farmers in helping them overcome one of their main impediments to success – distribution – while creating alliances to help Black people maintain farmland and make it prosperous for younger generations to keep farming and farmland in the family.

As the morning progressed to afternoon, a steady stream of visitors drifted from booth to booth, chatting with vendors and each other.

Scott noted that a market day like this was what he was accustomed to in his youth, where the market was not just about buying things but also a place for valuable social exchange.

The social aspect became even pronounced shortly after midday when Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee stopped by to shop and visit with some of the vendors, including Ellen Bimpeh of Sankofa, and Ravernell who was selling T-shirts designed by Stewart.

Lee is also a fan of Winky Dinky Dogs, an eatery owned by Tyranny Allen whose second brick-and-mortar venture further anchors a hub of businesses at that corner.

As he has in previous years, Andre Thierry of Accordion Soul, closed the festival with a 90-minute set that brought young and the young-at-heart on their feet to dance in a line or as impromptu couples.

And, surprisingly, the man Allen refers to as the mayor of 45th Street, came out on cane and chair to sit by the curb in the sun and listen to music reminiscent of his Louisiana roots. His appearance seemed to echo Scott’s observance about the market: to bring people together.

The Freedom Farmers’ Market is located at 4521 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland and is open on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month until Nov. 14. For more information and to apply to be a vendor, go to https://www.farmstogrow.org/freedomfarmersmarket

Black Press

Event Preview: ‘Fashion v. Fascism’ – A Runway Revolution Is Coming to the Bay Area

“Fashion v. Fascism” (FVF) is an upcoming visually immersive event combining fashion, music, and political theater to expose the rise of fascism in the U.S. and advocate for resistance. Described as a live “runway revolution,” FVF premieres October 3 at The Rotunda in downtown Oakland. The event will feature five runway collections spotlighting elements of contemporary fascist politics, accompanied by political theater and live music, culminating in a call to action. Organizers state that culture is a potent defense when democracy is under siege. Read more to learn about this unique event.

Published

5 days ago

September 18, 2026

BlackPressUSA Newswire

Designer Rickie Lee. Courtesy image.

By Dr. Y’Anad Burrell

Called a live “runway revolution,” FvF premieres Oct. 3 at The Rotunda, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.

At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent.

FVF was created, organizers say, because democracy should always be in style.

Get more details at www.fashionvfascism.org.