The writers room behind animated series Central Park has started an online hashtag movement, #ShowUsYourRoom, to compel shows to showcase the diversity within their staff in pictures posted to social media.

One of the show’s writers and the hashtag’s creator, Amanda Idoko, spoke to Variety about the new call to action.

“This is a time where everyone is talking about diversity and inclusion,” she said to the outlet. “Everyone’s saying they’re promoting diversity and inclusion, but every year the numbers are the same. People are saying they want diversity and inclusion but not actually fighting it.”

Studies surrounding diversity in Hollywood have been the talk of the town as of late after the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative showed underrepresentation of minorities in entertainment and film journalism. USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s latest study was the most devastating, claiming there’s been no change in diversity in film between 2007 and 2017. However, Idoko said that studies also run the risk of making people think they can’t change statistics.

“Things aren’t changing because all of these studies and statistics are anonymous,” she said to Variety. “Simply classifying lack of diversity as an industry-wide problem takes away personal accountability and personal incentive for people to actually stand up and fix the problem.”

Idoko said that the hashtag should make other shows think about how diversity affects (or doesn’t affect) their writers’ rooms. “If…you find yourself in the position that you’re in an all-white room, that should be a wake-up call for you,” she said. “…If you are scared to show a picture of your room, I think that’s a problem.”

Idoko started the initiative off with a picture of her and her writing co-workers.

Being in a diverse room means not carrying the exhausting weight of being the only. It means working in a space that looks the way the world does. I’m proud of the way my room looks. Are you? If so, let’s see it 🙂 #ShowUsYourRoom #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge #RepresentationMatters pic.twitter.com/FMAhjisHwy

— Amanda Idoko (@amidoko) September 18, 2018

The initiative, which also now has a Twitter account to increase its impact, has seen participation from the Queen Sugar, Insecure, Empire, 13 Reasons Why, The Last OG, All American, Ambitions, The Chi, Power and Suits writers’ rooms, among many others, including the Black List team. Many more rooms are showcased on the initiative’s Twitter page.

For @QueenSugarOWN, @ava & @QSWriters diversity & inclusion in the room is what we’ve been about since day 1. #RepresentationMatters BTS as much in front! We proudly accept the #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge! Here’s our Season 3 Writer Room! #showusyourroom ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/pVaf8bXY45

— Anthony Sparks (@SparksAnthony) September 18, 2018

Being in a diverse room means not carrying the exhausting weight of being the only. It means working in a space that looks the way the world does. I’m proud of the way my room looks. Are you? If so, let’s see it 🙂 #ShowUsYourRoom #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge #insecurehbo pic.twitter.com/ViVuJ3Nx3v

— Amy Aniobi (@janiobi) September 18, 2018

Empire writers reporting for duty. Who’s next? #ShowUsYourRoom #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge #RepresentationMatters pic.twitter.com/gTapL0T4n8

— Empire Writers (@EmpireWriters) September 18, 2018

#RepresentationMatters in TV writers’ rooms! Proud to be a part of the @Netflix @13ReasonsWhy writing staff. Writers’ rooms… join us in this effort to promote diversity and #showusyourroom! #showusyourroomchallenge #diversitymatters #13ReasonsWhy @showusyourroom pic.twitter.com/sh9G1Bk25f

— Felischa Marye (@felischa) September 18, 2018

We love our @TheLastOGtbs Season 2 Writer’s room!#showusyourroom #showusyourroomchallenge #TheLastOG #diversestaffs #representsationmatters https://t.co/tgd5cfOfVD pic.twitter.com/17rOMforU5

— Monkeypaw Productions (@Monkeypaw) September 18, 2018

So proud of my mentee @amidoko for leading this initiative. Here we are #CWAllAmerican #Black #White #Latina #NativeAmerican #Gay #Straight #WeReppinHard #ProudofOurRoom (and we are missing a couple more folks) #ShowUsYourRoom #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge pic.twitter.com/eKHZySyHgg

— Nkechi Okoro Carroll (@kech99) September 18, 2018

Hey @amidoko! I’m So proud of the amazing writing team behind the upcoming @OWNTV show #Ambitions!!! #ShowUsYourRoom #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge #DiverseWriters #RepresentationMatters pic.twitter.com/PMzfsiRgkd

— Will Packer (@willpowerpacker) September 18, 2018

Thanks for accepting the challenge @LenaWaithe! #ShowUsYourRoom #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge #TheChi pic.twitter.com/Kk0s9RqFsy

— showusyourroom (@showusyourroom) September 18, 2018

Our room on @Power_STARZ! #showusyourroom #powerstarz #powertv #showusyourroomchallenge pic.twitter.com/Cj1RpQk8YC

— Gary Lennon (@GaryPLennon) September 18, 2018

Meet the outstanding writers who will be bringing you the SUITS spinoff. #ShowUsYourRoom #ShowUsYourRoomChallenge pic.twitter.com/T75jGfCnGt

— Chris Downey (@ChrDowney) September 18, 2018

According to Variety, the hashtag is a joint project between Idoko and the WGA Committee of Black Writers’ Inclusion and Equity Subcommittee, so hopefully, with that kind of backing, the initiative will go further than just shaming writers rooms but promote more hiring of writers of color, as well. Overall, this hashtag movement could make showrunners and producers think twice about who they hire and whose voices they uplift.

Amanda Idoko

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