WASHINGTON – As a part of the lineup of events for Howard University’s Homecoming, MACRO held the first-ever MACRO X Howard Summit, which featured panels designed by MACRO Founder and CEO Charles D. King and MACRO Chief Brand Officer Stacey Walker King to give students the tools necessary to break into the entertainment industry. The summit ended with an advanced screening of the Universal Pictures film “Queen and Slim,” which is set to release on November 27.

The MACRO X Howard Summit began with the opening of MACRO Village, a lounge area constructed in front of the Howard University Cramton Auditorium which featured food, games, and giveaways. MACRO Village was also the location for all the panels that took place during the summit.

The first panel of the day was titled, “Pregame: What to Know Before Hollywood.” Moderated by MACRO Creative Executive Mark R. Wright, the conversation featured CAA motion picture talent agent Talitha Watkins (whose clients include Viola Davis, Indya Moore and Stephan James); the managing director of Wondaland Arts, Mikael Moore (who manages the likes of Janelle Monae, Jidenna, and Angela Rye); and award-winning producer and founder of Made With Love Media, Stephen “Dr.” Love. These Hollywood playmakers came together to speak about everything from how the entertainment industry operates, to the struggles involved with entry, to what it takes to fulfill each of their specific roles within the industry. One of the main takeaways was the importance of students networking amongst their peers while in school and collaborating with them on projects because today’s students are the next generation of executives. Additionally, in order to ensure that black voices are heard, black people are needed in every sector from talent management to production to law and everything in between.

Next, MACRO Founder Charles D. King hosted a “Masterclass Session” on ownership. King discussed how he worked his way up from the mailroom and eventually became a high ranking talent agent before leaving to start MACRO in 2015. He then discussed what it’s really like being a CEO and owning a production company. One of the most important aspects of this session was his discussion on the importance of impacting the black community by making sure that black people own and tell their own narratives.

The last panel of the day, titled “Show & Prove!,” was moderated by content creator, producer, and Howard alumna, Freddie Ransome and featured panelists Kristena Hatcher, HR executive and diversity & inclusion advocate at CAA; and Latasha Gillespie, Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Amazon Studios. This panel mainly focused on giving the students the tools necessary to succeed in landing a job in the entertainment industry. The panelists discussed everything from resume and interview tips to self-worth, networking and salary negotiation.

The summit concluded with an advanced screening of the Universal Pictures film “Queen and Slim” which was followed by a Q&A session with the director, Melina Matsoukas. The movie kept students on the edge of their seats and made them feel a range of emotions following every twist and turn. According to Matsoukas, the film’s screenwriter, Lena Waithe, described the film best by saying, “It's about these two people falling in love and the world is burning down around them.”

When asked for his final thoughts on the Summit, Charles King said, “My wife, Stacey, had the idea to do this and the fact that she and her team were able to put this together and Dr. Frederick and the whole administration embraced us and this idea, the conversations we've had with so many students, the information that was shared…that experience is magic.” He then went on to say, “This is truly a magical moment, and I'm looking forward to finding more ways to bring what we're doing at MACRO together with the University.”

More information about MACRO can be found at www.staymacro.com and information regarding the other events scheduled for Howard Homecoming can be found at https://homecoming.howard.edu. 

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