Kerry Washington and Laverne Cox on Making Their Own Opportunities and Achieving Inclusivity on Set

Laverne Cox and Kerry Washington know all too well what its like to be the first, as well as the mix of pride, pressure and responsibility that comes with it. Thats why theyre working to ensure that theyre providing opportunities for underrepresented artists both onscreen and behind the scenes. All day Inauguration Day I was wearing my shirt that has Vice President Kamala Harris face as a little girl, and it says, The first, but not the last. Because that has to be the message, Washington says. The goal cant be to be the only one in the room. Cox agrees: The question for me has always been, How do we keep the door open How do we open a window How do we just let the whole wall come down, so that more people can get in That is the challenge of being a first something. Cox, who recently appeared in Promising Young Woman, and Washington, who starred in The Prom, have been lending their star power as producers to promote sociopolitical causes beyond Hollywood. Cox,