Tavis Smiley: NAACP will continue to challenge networks

Tavis Smiley

The NAACP has been taking a critical look at the number of minorities, their roles, and how many of them have been hired behind the camera by the entertainment industry. CNN Contributor Tavis Smiley has been following the controversy and offers this perspective:

Q. The NAACP has been very critical of the entertainment industry. Is that attitude likely to change?

A. No, not likely. The NAACP is expected to continue to be critical of the industry. They are going to continue to challenge and perhaps even chastise the networks for not doing enough and not doing it fast enough.

Q. Why isn't the NAACP calling for a boycott of one of the networks?

A. A report issued last week by the Screen Actors Guild was encouraging -- but only marginally so -- in that it reports that minorities have only gained about 0.7 of a percentage point in exposure on television.

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NAACP expected to chastise entertainment biz

It is assumed by some inside the NAACP that the SAG report noting progress, however marginal, made it difficult for the NAACP to come back two days later and call for a boycott.

Q. Which network does the NAACP believe is doing the poorest job with minorities?

A. Speculation has been that ABC is on the short end when it comes to improvement.

Q. What does the NAACP want?

A. The NAACP wants more African-American and colored faces on the air. They want more African-Americans in decision-making positions. They want better portrayals and images of African-Americans and people of color. Finally, they want better training programs that will mean an easier road of entry for people of color in Hollywood.

Q. What will be the industry's reaction to the NAACP?

A. That's a good question. Will Hollywood now look the other way because they believe they've been given a free pass by escaping a boycott?

The other question is, what will black America make of this? This is the second or third time that the NAACP has cried wolf. Some in the minority community will sound off on that.