Why Netflix Features Black Actors in Promos to Black Users

Last week, Netflix users raised concerns that the company was targeting black users by race in the way it promoted films--highlighting black characters who sometimes had only minor roles in a movie. The debate began after Stacia L. Brown, creator of the podcast Charm City, tweeted a screenshot of the promotion she was shown for Like Father, featuring two black characters, Leonard Ouzts and Blaire Brooks, who had "20 lines between them, tops," rather than the movie's famous white stars, Kristen Bell and Kelsey Grammer. Brown, who is black, posted a handful of other examples where Netflix highlighted black actors, presumably to entice her to watch, even though the films' casts were predominantly white. In response, Netflix issued a carefully worded statement emphasizing that the company does not track sensitive demographic data about its users. "Reports that we look at demographics when personalizing artwork are untrue," the company said in a statement.