What's my secret to success?
Strategic hiring, celebrating the small victories, and other answers for the voice inside my head.
On Thursday, 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed, the HBO documentary that I produced and directed, was awarded a Television Academy Honor. The Television Academy (the people in charge of the Emmys) have given these awards to honor “television programs and their producers who have leveraged the extraordinary power of storytelling to propel social change” for the past seventeen years. It was exciting to be in the company of shows that are doing this type of work with a vast range of communities and issues. It was also awesome to be honored with people I know and people with whom I’ve worked before. Ali Wong’s Netflix series Beef was among the seven programs recognized. I have known Ali since the beginning of her career, and now she’s so big that she wasn’t even at the ceremony. I also got to see several former guests from United Shades of America. Nikole Hannah-Jones was given an award for her docu-series The 1619 Project. Sarah Eagle Heart and Kevin Killer were honored for their documentary Lakota Nation vs. United States. I had the privilege of working with Nikole on the reparations episode of United Shades of America, and I worked with Sarah and Kevin on an episode about the Landback movement. Check those episodes of United Shades of America on MAX.
The Television Academy announced the honorees a few weeks ahead of Thursday’s ceremony, and when my wife, Melissa, and I told our kids the news, they were so surprised. My oldest assumed it was an award for United Shades. It was extra exciting to be able to tell them that the award was for a project they had all been in. Because the honorees were already announced and we knew for sure that we were going to win, my wife, Melissa, and I made a whole long weekend of it. We took the kids out of school so they could come to the ceremony. The next day, we surprised them with a trip to Universal Studios. Shout out to the people at Universal for hooking us up with tickets and for taking such good care of us.
I have to admit that with so much going on in the world right now, it feels strange to celebrate small victories. But I really want to celebrate this one, because so much of it is about my kids and the kids who participated in it. This doc is just another small step in mainstreaming the voices of mixed folks talking about their experiences. I run into people all the time - both mixed and not mixed - who say that the film has had a big effect on them. This is a huge topic, and we need many more projects to investigate the history and lived experience of being mixed, but I’m happy that this one film has been received so well. It is the first thing that I have ever made for kid viewers that centers kids’ voices. I hope to make more projects like this.
It was also great to have my family onstage with me to accept the award. Thanks to 1000% Me producer Geraldine Porras for this photo of us on stage. Without this photo I never would have seen my youngest daughter’s ebullient face as she hoists that trophy.
I feel really lucky that I get to have days like this with my family. It makes me want to help the people who are helping other families. Want to join me? Consider donating to Doctors Without Borders because all kids deserve to be happy and safe. They’re working hard to save lives in Gaza, Haiti, Sudan, and 70+ other countries.
Since I knew we were going to win, I did something that I rarely do. I wrote a speech. People in the room seemed to really appreciate it, so I’m sharing it with you.
First of all, I’d like to thank the Television Academy for this honor. It is a privilege to be honored with all the other honorees. It means so much to me and all of us who worked on 1000% Me to know that our work means something. And it especially means a lot to me and my wife and business partner, Melissa, that a film that features our family has resonated with so many.
I would also like to thank HBO, especially Lisa Heller, Nancy Abraham, Sara Rodriguez, and Amy Schatz. You all believed in our ability to make something even when we didn’t know exactly what we were making at first. Executives who trust creatives to experiment are so rare in this business. I guess what I am saying is, “Do you have any full-time jobs that I can apply for?”
I would also like to thank our partners at John Legend’s Get Lifted. I don’t know why you let us sprinkle your magic dust on this film, but we will forever be grateful.
I’d like to thank my ex-boss at CNN, Amy Entelis, who set up the meeting at HBO. Amy, if CNN needs me again, call me!
And of course I want to thank all the families who showed up with their kids and trusted us to have these big conversations about identity and their lives. This film will forever be a time capsule of that time we filmed. The thing that makes me most excited is the number of connections that have been maintained since we filmed. There have been parties and playdates and concerts with kids who had never met until this film. It has been unexpectedly beautiful.
And thank you to Oakland for accepting me so many years ago and for only making me feel like a transplant sometimes. Oakland was the perfect place to film this documentary. Once again, Oakland is a shining example to the world.
Whenever people ask me, “Kamau, what is the secret of your success?” I say, “Thanks for asking, Voice in My Head. I can attribute it to many things. My family. My community. But if I had to narrow it down to one thing, I would have to say that the secret of my success is not hiring too many white guys.”
Just to be clear, I didn’t say that I don’t hire any white guys. That would be discrimination. I just try to make sure that I don’t hire too many. And I try to make sure if we hire a white guy that we get one of the good ones. We had one of the good ones on this film shoot.
Now I know some of you are thinking, “But Kamau, I’ve seen you with lots of white guys in your career.” Well, to be clear, those weren’t all my white guys. There are a certain amount of white guys who just come baked into the process of show business. I’ve been on stage, winning an award, and I looked around at the people on stage with me who were also winning an award with me, and there have been white guys on that stage that I didn’t even recognize.
“You work on my show? Who are you?”
“I’m an executive producer.”
“Okay, David Zaslav.”
I say all that to say that I am privileged to be able to work with a crew of incredible women on this project. In addition to my wife, there’s Kelly Rafferty, Geraldine Porras, Grace Porras, Jennifer Brooks, Zakiya Ousley, Tiffany Littlejohn, and Danielle Calodney.
And finally, when I was a kid, my mom sat me down and made me watch the PBS documentary Eyes on the Prize. I don’t know how much it grossed at the box office. I don’t know if it was even profitable. But I do know that it was important. It opened my mind and changed my life. My plea is that this industry increases investment in projects like the ones being honored today. These projects may not always trend or even make money, but they can and do make the world a better place.
Here’s the full list of projects honored by the Television Academy last week:
1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed (Get Lifted Film Company; HBO Documentary Films)
From four-time Emmy-winner W. Kamau Bell, this documentary explores what it means to grow up mixed-race in America through conversations with multiracial children and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area, including his own. Bell tackles the joys and challenges of being multiracial in a country still deeply divided by race. (HBO|Max)
The 1619 Project (Harpo; Lionsgate Television; One Story Up Productions; The New York Times; Onyx Collective)
This Emmy-winning nonfiction series is a dramatic expansion of the “The 1619 Project” created by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times Magazine. The series seeks to reframe America’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the national narrative, tackling issues surrounding racial justice, economic justice, reproductive justice, racism, democracy, criminal justice and reparations. (Hulu)
A Small Light (ABC Signature; Keshet Studios; National Geographic)
Starring Bel Powley and Liev Schreiber, this Emmy-nominated limited series follows the remarkable tale of Miep Gies, a Dutch woman who risked her life to shelter Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis for nearly two years during World War II. With Miep’s story more relevant than ever, this series presents a true account of an ordinary secretary who showed extraordinary courage during one of the darkest moments in history. (National Geographic)
Beef (A24; Universal Remote; Netflix)
Created by Lee Sung Jin, this eight-time Emmy-winning series is an honest portrayal of loneliness and depression in the modern world. In BEEF, a road rage incident between two strangers – played by Emmy-winning actors Steven Yeun and Ali Wong – sparks a feud that brings out their darkest impulses. (Netflix)
Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court (Showtime Documentary Films; Showtimes Networks; Trilogy Films)
This documentary series examines the vital role the Supreme Court plays in the ongoing fight for civil liberties in the context of America’s shifting political landscape. From Chief Justice Earl Warren in the mid-20th century through the latest sessions under Chief Justice John Roberts, each of the four episodes features an in-depth look at pivotal cases that altered the state of the union. The series explores issues within the justice system, civil rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. (Showtime)
Heartstopper (See-Saw Films; Netflix)
Based on the global best-selling graphic novels from author and creator Alice Oseman, Heartstopper stars Kit Connor and Joe Locke and explores the relationship between teens Charlie and Nick who discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love. The critically acclaimed, coming-of-age series celebrates the spectrum of LGBTQIA+ teen hood by centering its story and characters on queer love. (Netflix)
Lakota Nation vs. United States (Unceded Films, LLC; IFC Films)
This documentary chronicles the Lakota Indians’ fight to protect their sacred land. This visually stunning program about indigenous Americans is a provocative testament to a land and a people who have survived removal, exploitation and genocide – and whose best days are yet to come. (AMC+)
You’re With Me
Here are some updates from Oakland:
May Office Hours: Zoom Edition
Come hang out on Friday. May office hours are happening on Friday May 31st from 12pm - 12:45pm PT. (I have to get to an event, so we’re wrapping up our convo a little early this month. Thanks for understanding!) Last month’s Zoom AMA was quite fun, so we’re going to do that again! All paid subscribers will get an email with the Zoom link a few minutes before we start, and then we’ll all log on and hang out. If you’ve been thinking about becoming a paid subscriber, this might be the time.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m on a jury at the Tribeca Film Festival
One of the biggest honors of my career was being on the documentary jury at the Sundance Film Festival. First of all, I never really knew I was going to be a documentary filmmaker, annnnd I never imagined winning awards, soooooo therefore, I never thought of myself as some sort of decider of awards. Of course, I didn’t imagine that it would happen twice!
Well, it is happening TWICE!
I have been invited to be a member of the 2024 Tribeca Jury. Me and my fellow jurors will be selecting the Best New Documentary Director. Luckily, I feel pretty qualified for that. The film festival is June 6-17. If you are in New York and have interest in attending Tribeca, you can read all about it:
Oakland Museum of California’s Gathering in the Garden
Bay Area folks, come join me and a couple of my cool friends on Saturday night for OMCA’s annual fundraiser, Gathering in the Garden. It’s happening this Saturday, June 1st at 6:00pm. I’ll be in conversation with East Bay cultural forces Favianna Rodriguez and Rafael Casal, talking about how to nurture the vibrant arts and culture community of the East Bay. Afterwards there will be a whole evening of music and culinary delights. All proceeds support OMCA’s exhibitions and programs, serving hundreds of thousands of school groups, families, and community members.
Congrats! What a neat award. I'm glad you splained it, I wasn't familiar with it. That's quite an honor.
And "Eyes on the Prize" still runs on PBS occasionally...which is quite remarkable.
Whoa - congrats to you and the whole squad!