The UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report: What the 2026 Data Actually Says (with Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón & Jade Abston)

Four years running, the most-watched films on streaming have been led by Women of Color. So why is Hollywood still treating diverse stories as a risk?

On this bonus episode of Sista Brunch, we sit down with Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón and Jade Abston, two of the researchers behind UCLA's Hollywood Diversity Report, to break down what the 2026 data actually shows about who gets to lead, direct, write, and who's actually watching.

Dr. Ramón runs UCLA's Entertainment and Media Research Initiative and has spent more than two decades studying equity in Hollywood.

Jade Abston is a PhD candidate at UCLA and a co-author on the report, whose own dissertation research looks at Black women's innovation in music videos and visual albums. We talk through the history of the report and why it had to be built independently of the studios, the numbers behind this year's findings for Black women in lead roles, directing, and writing, and the audience data that keeps proving the same point: Women of Color aren't just watching, they're driving the ratings.

This conversation also unpacks something the headline numbers don't always show: how streaming algorithms shape what gets seen in the first place, and why visibility and sustainability are two different problems. Read the full UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report at socialsciences.ucla.edu Hosted by Fanshen Cox (she/they) Guests: Dr.

Ana-Christina Ramón, Jade Abston Sista Brunch is brought to you by TruJuLo Productions. Watch on YouTube: Follow on Instagram: @SistaBrunchPodcast Support the show: patreon.com/sistabrunch