Marta Kauffman (Friends co-creator) donated generously to Brandeis University, Marta’s alma mater. She gave $4 million to help establish an endowed professorship within the African and African American Studies Department.
Kauffman pledged his support. “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism. I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.”
FriendsKauffman and David Crane co-created. The show has been criticised over the years for not being diverse. Kauffman saw the show at that time as unfairly targeted. Since then, she has been outspoken with her regrets about its shortcomings — both in front of and behind the camera.
She is however Submitted the Los Angeles Times this week that she has now connected the show’s shortcomings in this area to her own failings.
“It was after what happened to George Floyd that I began to wrestle with my having bought into systemic racism in ways I was never aware of,” said Kauffman. “That was really the moment that I began to examine the ways I had participated. The moment I realized that I had to correct my course, I was certain.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman continued. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”
The Grace and Frankie co-creator said that’s what led to the donation.
“I feel I was finally able to make some difference in the conversation,”She spoke. “I have to say, after agreeing to this and when I stopped sweating, it didn’t unburden me, but it lifted me up. But until in my next production I can do it right, it isn’t over. I want to make sure from now on in every production I do that I am conscious in hiring people of color and actively pursue young writers of color. I want to know I will act differently from now on. And then I will feel unburdened.”