ABOUT CARLTON JORDAN

Carlton Jordan is an award-winning writer, director and producer who has spent nearly 20 years in unscripted television. He is currently serving as a Co-Executive Producer on ‘The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’ after serving as Consulting Producer on 'Sweet Life: Los Angeles on HBO Max and 'March' on the CW . He is also developing a scripted live-action project with Academy Award winner Regina King and an animated project with 50 Cent and Nicki Minaj.

In this Episode

Hailing from North Carolina, Carlton went from going to an all-black elementary, junior high, high school and college, to being thrust into Hollywood as one of the only black people on his producing teams. Tokenism on its face seems harmless, but there are many consequences of the half-hearted efforts to include a face to give the appearance of diversity.

Segments include:

*Carlton's eye-opening internship experience at MTV


*His struggles to get networks to see Gabrielle Union 


*News organizations that care more about Rihanna's trauma


*Will Smith being overlooked in favor of white reality stars half 

  his stature

Studies have shown that tokenism creates a loss of individuality, stress, and burnout for its victims. Many don’t feel they’re being seen or heard. In this episode, we discover the trials Carlton went through, and what actions he took to break through it. He chronicles his journey in Hollywood from being an intern and Production Assistant at MTV, a producer at E-NEWS and creator of his own blog before rediscovering his original passion as a writer.

A Mckinsey & Co. study noted that while films and television play an important role in shaping and reinforcing cultural beliefs, Black professionals trying to build and sustain a career in Hollywood have found it ‘a relatively unwelcoming workplace.’ In light of the polarizing events in this country, the needle still needs to be pushed forward to explore the challenges Black Creatives face in Hollywood to make it a better place for all.

ABOUT PHOTOS BELOW

After the episode taping, a project Carlton co-wrote with Crystal Roberson-Dorsey was picked up by FreeForm, starring Nicki Minaj and Executive Produced by 50 Cent, congratulations!

Other photos below reference certain people and aspects of his career he discusses in the episode. So make sure you check it out!