My Black My Brown

Concept By: Ruben Navarrette & Tavis Smiley

Written By: Ruben Navarrette, Tavis Smiley & D.Channsin Berry

Executive Producers: Tavis Smiley (TS Media, Inc) & Ruben Navarrette (Crimscribe Communications, LLC)

Director: D.Channsin Berry (Urban Winter Entertainment, Inc)

Producers: D.Channsin Berry, Meleisha Edwards and Sonia Santiago

** 2020 Census:
62.1 Million Latinos — 18.7% of US Population
41.1 million African Americans — 12.4% of US Population

** There are 103.2 million Black & Brown people in the United States; 31.1% of the U.S. population in 2020; projected to be 40% by 2040

** 10 Black Cities in 2020: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis, Los Angeles, New Orleans, St. Louis, Washington DC

** 10 Latino Cities in 2020: Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, San Diego, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Las Vegas

** Both African Americans and Latinos influenced and define America’s food, music, technology, culture, education, commerce, sports, and politics.

** In the African American community, class differences are often based on colorism. With Latinos, they are often based on immigration status.

** The most common points of contact and interaction for the two groups are: K-12 schools, colleges/universities, neighborhoods, prisons and the criminal justice system, the workplace (both blue collar & white color jobs)

** Latinos and African Americans aren’t natural allies, but nor are they automatic enemies. Neither group seems to spend much time thinking about the other. They are both too busy thinking about their most complicated relationship: White people. While Latinos and African Americans aren’t enemies, they are competitors — for the attention of White people.

** The groups also appear to lack empathy for some of the challenges faced by the other. When African Americans battle police violence, or Latinos navigate an archaic U.S. immigration system, they do it alone — without support from the other. Also, each group tends to think their experience in the United States is unique and impossible to replicate.

MY BLACK, MY BROWN: Two Journeys, One America” — a four-part documentary — tells a story that is long overdue, yet also perfectly timed for the era in which we live. It’s the story of the 21st Century.
America is changing, in real time and right before our eyes, from a majority-White country to one in which people of color will be the new majority.
According to the Brookings Institute, in 1980, White residents accounted for nearly 80% of the U.S. population while Black residents made up 11.5% and Latino residents made up 6.5%. By 2020, the White population made up just 60.1%, while the Black population accounted for 12.5%, and the Latino population had grown to 18.5%. Sometime between 2040 and 2045, White residents will become the statistical minority in the United States.
Black Americans and Latino Americans will comprise — together — more than 40% of the U.S. population. The Black-Brown relationship will define America. If you don’t understand the interplay between these two groups, you won’t be able to understand America in the 21st Century.
Of course, there are significant differences between the groups. They come from different places, have different experiences, and conduct themselves differently. African Americans know that one has to speak out against mistreatment, while Latinos are more passive and accepting of authority.
But, there are many more similarities. Both groups have suffered oppression, discrimination, “othering,” violence, “the imposter syndrome,” pay disparity, financial inequality and more. The groups share a devotion to family, religion and community. They’ve used hard work, ambition and perseverance to succeed against what have often been long odds.

On this journey, “MY BLACK, MY BROWN” will encounter — and be guided by — a wide array of interesting individuals with unique and valuable perspectives on the relationship between Latinos and African Americans in the United States. We will hear these stories.
To put that relationship in its proper context…
We’ll hear from noted Latino and African American scholars from higher education, including professors of U.S./world history, psychology, sociology, political science, Chicano/Latino studies and African-American studies.
We’ll hear from Latino and African American elected officials at the local, state, and federal level, as well as current and former cabinet officials and members of government boards and commissions.
We’ll hear from Latino and African American law enforcement officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, current and retired judges and others who spend their days navigating the criminal justice system.
We’ll hear from Latino and African American entrepreneurs, financial experts, corporate board members, current and former CEO’s of Fortune 200 companies and other business experts.
We’ll hear from Latino and African American journalists (print, television, radio, and digital), podcasters, columnists, journalism professors, radio/television hosts, media professionals and public relations specialists.
We’ll hear from Latino and African American teachers, counselors and administrators at the K-12 level, language specialists, speech therapists, education professors, and others who work in the educational system.
We’ll hear from Latino and African American actors, producers, and directors from television and film, as well as others who understand how marginalized group are typically depicted in the world of entertainment.
Finally, and most importantly, we’ll hear from everyday Americans who are Black and brown — including Afro-Latinos with a foothold in both worlds.