Black voice actors explain why so many minority characters went to white voice actors

Vulture

Wyatt Cenac, who voices two characters on Nickelodeons Fanby & Chum Chum, says "it feels like the problem has grown in part because there has been an emphasis on casting big names over the right names. When we talk about systemic racism, when every top-level person is white, chances are that top-level talent is overwhelmingly white, too.” Joan Baker, a Black voice actor who is the co-founder of the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences, says she feels something transformative is happening in the wake of white stars recently stepping down from their minority voice acting roles. “We must insist that casting directors, talent agents, and talent managers who are the primary gatekeepers for major voice-over jobs be enlightened to the reality that they are complicit in racial inequality if they don’t do the work of matching actors of color with characters of color," she says.