Michael B. Jordan on Inclusion Riders: 'Actions Speak Louder Than Words'
Michael B. Jordan made waves in March when he promised to build inclusion riders—contract clauses that guarantee equitable representation and employment in productions—into all future projects with his company, Outlier Society Productions. The "Fahrenheit 451" star addressed the impetus behind this pledge in his new June cover story for Essence magazine. The outlet published an abridged version of the article online today (May 18), one week before it arrives in print (May 25).
Surprise! I interviewed actor/producer @michaelb4jordan for the June 2018 @Essence cover. Hits newsstands next Friday. Shot by @mrowephoto Styled by Avon Dorsey
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) May 17, 2018
Shout to @corimurray @traceysees @Thompsonproject @missjulee for the opportunity pic.twitter.com/VlWFrIwbJs
"Actions speak louder than words," Jordan told Matthew A. Cherry, the filmmaker and executive at Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions who wrote the story for Essence. "I want to lead by example. I know I had an opportunity with the shows and projects I had coming up, to put it to work. It's important to have diversity both in front of and behind the camera, and inclusion riders make sure that anyone who does business with my company knows that we expect there to be people of color, women, LGBT folks, and people with disabilities in key positions on our crews and productions staffs."