NAACP+ Inside The Industry

Thirty-five years after New Jack City changed Hollywood, Mario Van Peebles is still at it — and this conversation proves exactly why. In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with actor, director, writer, and producer Mario Van Peebles for one of the most wide-ranging, genuinely funny, and deeply important conversations in the series so far. Mario gets into: →...

Before Beyoncé was Beyoncé. Before Jamie Foxx was Jamie Foxx. Before Halle Berry won her Oscar. Someone saw them first. That someone is Robi Reed — and in this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, she finally steps into the spotlight. Host Ariana Drummond sits down with Emmy Award-winning casting director and producer Robi Reed — one of two Black women in history to win an Emmy for casting, a Ha...

Most people have watched the NAACP Image Awards for years without knowing his name. Tony McCuin is the director who makes it all happen — and in this episode, he finally steps out from behind the camera. In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with an award-winning live television director, Tony McCuin — the man behind the NAACP Image Awards, Password with Kek...

Algee Smith has never played it safe — and this conversation proves exactly why that's his superpower. From sleeping on a friend's couch in North Hollywood, surviving on El Pollo Loco and 7-Eleven Slurpees, to booking the New Edition Story AND Detroit in the same month — Algee's journey is one of radical faith, relentless study, and a refusal to shrink. In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industr...

What does it actually take to shape the careers of Hollywood's biggest stars — and survive the chaos behind the scenes? Veteran publicist Shannon Barr pulls back the curtain on 20+ years in entertainment PR, from her early days at ICM to managing crises at 3 am, losing client John Singleton, and what it really costs to get the press you deserve. In this episode, Shannon covers: → How she got her s...

What does it actually take to build a two-decade career in entertainment journalism — across NBC's Today Show, Hot 97, Essence, Access Hollywood, BET, and the Met Gala red carpet with Rihanna? In this episode of NAACP+'s Inside the Industry, host ArianaDrummond sits down with her close friend and NAACP Image Awards-nominated journalist, podcaster, and host Gia Peppers for one of the most candid, f...

If your film has been rejected by festival after festival, this episode is going to change how you think about everything. In this episode of NAACP+'s Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with Kimberley Browning — veteran film programmer, festival director, and Senior Associate Short Film Programmer for the Tribeca Film Festival — to pull back the curtain on how film festivals actua...

What does it actually take to become a working television writer in Hollywood? In this episode of NAACP+'s Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with writer and producer Chuck Hayward — whose credits include Ted Lasso, WandaVision, and Dear White People — for one of the most honest conversations we've had about the realities of building a writing career. Chuck breaks down: → How TV w...

DeVon Franklin rose from intern to executive producer in Hollywood—but how did that actually happen? In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, DeVon Franklin—producer behind films like "The Pursuit of Happyness," "Moneyball," and "The Karate Kid"—shares what it really takes to grow in this business, navigate opportunity, and build a career with purpose. We'll cover topics such as: - What it t...

The making of a fashion powerhouse—how does a designer go from starting out to dressing Hollywood’s biggest stars? Brandon Gray has built a brand that commands attention on the red carpet—from the NAACP Image Awards to the Oscars and the Met Gala. But behind those moments is a story of persistence, strategy, and learning how to build in an industry that rarely gives you a clear path. In this episo...

How do you break into Hollywood without connections? For most people, the biggest barrier to entering the entertainment industry isn’t talent—it’s access. So how do careers actually get started when you don’t know anyone? In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, James Swoope—Partner at M88—breaks down how aspiring creatives can break into Hollywood, how talent managers identify potential, an...

Welcome to the vertical storytelling era. But how do you actually break into vertical storytelling and short-form content right now? Short-form content is reshaping the entertainment industry—and creating new opportunities for writers, producers, and creators looking to build in vertical storytelling. In this episode of  NAACP+ Inside the Industry , Wendy Calhoun—writer, showrunner, and co-executi...

What does it take to build a career in entertainment today? NAACP+ Inside The Industry is a new original series exploring how film, television, music, fashion, and digital culture actually operate—through conversations with the professionals shaping the business. Hosted by Ariana Drummond, a publicist with over 15 years of experience across multiple areas of the industry, the series connects the d...