Equal representation

- Equal representation is hugely important, of course, and the truth is, it's all about empathy. We shouldn't need to see ourselves in a character to relate, but given the level of sexism, homophobia and racism in this world, we still do. Empathy for the underrepresented leads to a healthier society. Joe Biden called the sitcom "Will & Grace" and its characters Karen and Jack also, as an influence in America's thinking regarding LGBT rights, saying, "I think Will & Grace did more "to educate the American public "than almost anything anybody has ever done. "People fear that which is different. "Now they're beginning to understand." Three years after he said that, the Marriage Equality Act was passed. Like Rock Hudson, Will, Grace, Jack and Karen were beloved personalities. People felt like they knew these fictional characters and it gave them empathy for gay people, thinking, hey maybe all gay people were lovable like these guys. People saw them as sympathetic, which made them feel real and familiar rather than other. Recently it was revealed that Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played Uhura on the original Star Trek, decided after the first season that she wanted to leave TV to pursue roles on Broadway. She'd even submitted a resignation letter to Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the show. A day or two later she met Martin Luther King, Jr who told her she could not leave the show because she was a role model for millions of young girls and women, the only African American on TV in a role worth having. Needless to say, Nichelle recognized the importance of her presence and stayed on. Years later Whoopi Goldberg told Nichelle that when she was nine years old and saw Lieutenant Uhura on TV she ran screaming through the house saying, there was a black lady on TV who wasn't a maid. We have a role to play in our field as well. We get to make lots of decisions that could include better representation, including who we hire, who we work with, who sits on panels, who speaks at conferences, and who we choose to represent our clients in printed matter and online. We have a role to play in our field as well. We get to make lots of decisions that could include better representation, including who we hire, who we work with, who sits on panels, who speaks at conferences, and who we choose to represent our clients in printed matter and online. To do this we need to focus and do it with intent, maybe even fight for it. Creating a more accurate representation of America is not the end goal, it's just the means to an end. Nothing will really change until everyone sees each other as a human, a human they just haven't gotten to know yet. Seeing every person equally hinges on equal representation of the underrepresented.