Netflix debuts EPIC photo and video featuring 47 black creatives: ‘A Great Day in Hollywood’

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via Email
• Copy Link

  Link Copied

Netflix may be reeling from the recent firing of their Chief Communications Officer, but the streaming service remains committed to leading the way for diversity and representation and they just dropped an EPIC photo that shows just how much progress they have made.

During the 2018 BET Awards, Netflix debuted an iconic photo featuring 47 phenomenal talents from 20+ Netflix original shows, films and documentaries who came together to create A Great Day in Hollywood.

Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, Nia Long, Lena Waithe, and Alfre Woodard are just a few famous faces who participated in the shoot that’s an ode to the legendary 1958 photograph by Art Kane, A Great Day in Harlem.

Kwaku Alston shot the incredible photo that is remake of the iconic A Great Day in Harlem photo that featured 57 jazz legends including Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins  and Mary Lou Williams and inspired the 1994 Oscar-nominated documentary of the same name.

Lacey Duke directed the accompanying video for Netflix. 

“It was a pretty magical couple of hours. All these amazingly talented, beautiful individuals in one space being supportive and just looking stunning together, all here to pull off this one take wonder!  Alfre Woodard even lead everyone in an epic rendition of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ before we started shooting. It was beautiful, and in a flash it was over. It was probably the most overwhelming two hours of my career haha. I was just so happy to be a part of history,” Duke said in a statement.

 Caleb McLaughlin narrates:

“This is a New Day. Built from the ground broken by legends.

A Day for our generation to see untold experiences of our BLACKNESS.

Representing a LIMITLESS range of Identity. 

Playing Kings and Queens of our neighborhoods. Defeating larger than life forces trying to flip our world upside down. (beat)

WE STAND-UP on any stage and every screen.

A DAY when black women are BOLDLY the lead character, whether inmates or scholars

We’re not a genre because there’s no one way to be black.

We’re writing  while black. Nuanced and complex.

Resilient and Strong. This is NOT a Moment. This is a Movement. We are STRONG Black Leads

TODAY is a Great day in Hollywood.”