‘Friends’ Creator Donates $4 Million Due to ‘Guilt’ Over Show’s Lack of Diversity

thewrap.com:

Los Angeles Times, the television writer said she began understanding the criticism directed at her series — the uber-popular ’90s sitcom that continues to dominate the zeitgeist thanks to syndication and era-specific nostalgia — following the waves of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.“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,” Kauffman said. “That was really the moment that I began to examine the ways I had participated.

I knew then I needed to course-correct.”The Marta F. Kauffman ’78 Professorship in African and African American Studies at the private research university will support a distinguished scholar with a focus in the study of the people and cultures of Africa and the African diaspora.

The grant will also assist the department to recruit more experts and professors, plan long-term academic priorities and provide new opportunities for students to engage in interdisciplinary scholarship.Regarding the response she’s gotten since the donation’s announcement, Kauffman said, “I’ve gotten nothing but love.

It’s been amazing. It surprised me to some extent, because I didn’t expect the news to go this wide. I’ve gotten a flood of emails and texts and posts that have been nothing but supportive.