‘It’s the Prelude to the Renaissance’: Actor Jesse Williams and Artist Glenn Kaino on Why Creatives of Color Can Experiment Like Never Before
The longtime friends and business partners spoke about the intersection of art, tech, and social justice.
Glenn Kaino and Jesse Williams. Photo courtesy Kaino and Williams.
When artist Glenn Kaino first met actor and activist Jesse Williams, it was instant creative kismet.
The two recognized in each other a shared interest in art and technology, as well as a desire to give voice to overlooked cultures and pushback against the nuance-free, swath-like narratives that so often serve to summarize whole races of people in media.
The actor also talks about racism in tech.
Published March 12th
Written by BET Staff
In 2016, actor and activist Jesse Williams went viral for his powerful BET Awards speech. The
Grey’s Anatomy star, who was given the Humanitarian Award, poignantly addressed police brutality and other topics that are important to the Black community. While Williams was praised in some spaces, he also encountered backlash.
In a sit down with The Hollywood Reporter, the 39-year-old opened up about the reaction to the speech.
“I absolutely lost jobs because of it,” Williams said. “I also became more known. People felt like they really had a sense of who I was, and that I was going to loom large. A lot of people at that point were telling stories that compromised the humanity of Black people, and I don’t play that sh t. So, if I’m working with you, we’re going to have to take out that unnecessarily racist trope there and shift focus on that.”
Grey s Anatomy is returning to ABC with a bang. Actor Jesse Williams, who has long played heartthrob Dr. Jackson Avery, previewed the show s crossover event with Station 19. It s really cool to be able to overlap with Station 19 and have the traumas that they bring in become our patients, Williams said.
The actor is also excited for audiences to watch Jackson and Jo s (Camilla Luddington) relationship develop, as Jackson wrestles with his self-identity and purpose amid COVID-19.
Some of the bigger surprises this season included fan favorites returning to reunite with Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) in her dreamy beach sequences. I didn t know half the people that were going to show up on the beach, Williams said, adding that the show kept their surprise returns top secret.
March 11, 2021 10:22 AM EST Updated on March 11, 2021 3:21 PM EST
Get ready for endless hilarious game nights all about Latinx culture. Last week Visibility Media released ‘Ya Tú Sabes,’ a trivia-inspired game that explores popular Latinx culture. Described as “Lotería Meets Charades-Inspired” the mobile app was developed by Greys Anatomy’s
Jesse Williams, conceptual artist
Glenn Kaino, and former exec at NBA Latin America,
Arturo Nuñez. It features diverse categories like cumbia, fiestas, and futbol, regional themes. and was created to celebrate the rich diverse culture among Hispanics in the US. Before Ya Tú Sabes the creators released the award-winning Black culture-themed BLeBRiTY app.