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In a new interview, Diddy spoke on the industry's lack of black CEOs. Last week, Revolt CEO Roma Khanna was accused of racism by a black ex-staffer.
In a new interview with Variety, Diddy lamented the lack of black CEO's at the helm of companies in the entertainment industry.
Citing examples such as the flim Black Panther, the TV series Black-ish, and the popularity of hip-hop on streaming platforms, the mogul asserted that segregation and racism play a role in the lack of opportunities for black people as black culture thrives.
“You have these record companies that are making so much money off our culture, our art form, but they’re not investing or even believing in us," he said, adding, “There was segregation, as well as blatant racism, and there still is."
“For all the billions of dollars that these black executives have been able to make them, [there’s still hesitation] to put them in the top-level positions. They’ll go and they’ll recruit cats from overseas,” Diddy continued. “It makes sense to give [executives of color] a chance and embrace the evolution, instead of it being that we can only make it to president, senior VP. … There’s no black CEO of a major record company. That’s just as bad as the fact that there are no [black] majority owners in the NFL. That’s what really motivates me.”
READ: Diddy Responds to Racism Allegations Against Revolt TV CEO
The statements come a week after Roma Khanna, CEO of Diddy's Revolt, was accused of racism by a black ex-employee, who alleged that Khanna said, “black women intimidate her,” and when it was suggested that Meek Mill host a talk on prison reform for the Revolt Music Conference, “Roma responded, ‘Maybe the conversation isn’t about prison reform, maybe it’s about how to stay out of jail, black boy.’”
Diddy defended Khanna in a subsequent statement, referring to the company's “zero-tolerance” policy on discrimination.
At another point in the interview, Diddy mentioned he may be taking a break from music. “I feel like we’re in a new disruptive time, and when I announce what I’m doing with music it’ll be equally as disruptive as Bad Boy was,” he said.
Read the full interview on Variety.
