The Flash star Candice Patton has been fighting for Black women and girls’ rights ever since she stepped foot into the entertainment industry. She realized early on that representation doesn’t end with a network hiring an ethnic person, a Black actress, or a queer actor. The space in which these people work has to be founded on trust, authenticity, understanding the unique needs of these individual communities, and respecting them.
Candice Patton, who has been playing the role of Iris West on the CW series, The Flash, since 2014 speaks about representation and having a platform that allows her to use her voice and talk about relevant concerns of this day and age. She has been advocating awareness for a long time using every opportunity presented to her, be it in talk shows, interviews, or comic con panels.
Also read: 15 Facts About The CW Show The Flash Fans Know Nothing About
Candice Patton Paves The Way For Future Black Actresses
The industry is not an easy place to harness and cultivate one’s talents if one comes from a diverse background. Patton espouses the need to pay attention to the different needs of diverse actors without them coming off as “divas” or “difficult”. Speaking of network shows, she says, “You are making the choice to hire diverse talent. You need to be aware of what comes with that.”
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The hurdles of working in a “white” dominated production have pushed Patton to the point of leaving The Flash. However, she resists each time pointing out that the role she fought for will inspire many young girls who look like her to strive for their dreams in the future.
Also read: Jesse Quick May Return To The Flash
Javicia Leslie, a fellow actor, has lauded the efforts of Candice Patton in being a formidable advocate for the diverse community in Hollywood. She detailed how Patton’s journey on The Flash and her fight for representation helped pave the way for Javicia to become Batwoman:
“If we were to ever go to war, Candice would be standing right beside me. She’s very
fearless and it’s comforting to be around someone like that. I admire that. I will tell you, if Candice hadn’t done it, I don’t know if there would be an Azie [Tesfai] or Anna [Diop] or myself after her. Candice’s role proved that there is a fanbase for Black actors in superhero shows.”
Also read: The CW Cancels ‘Batwoman’ After Season 3, Fans Cry “Good Riddance”
Candice Patton Speaks About Mistreatment Of Colored Actors
“Bend but do not break” — Candice Patton’s advice to the future generation of colored actors. It is surprising that a series regular on a network as established and popular as CW and a show as hit as The Flash should have to ask to be protected from hate, racism, and mistreatment.
Candice speaking about how important it is to not only hire black talent, but also make sure they are protected from racist attacks and get the things they need, that their white counterparts have easy access to, without being labeled as “difficult” pic.twitter.com/Y2uMyF447y
— •C (@westallndiaries) June 26, 2022
She has been the subject of harassment from fans of the show for years before CW publicly spoke out against such acts. She candidly claimed on an Instagram live that she hopes her legacy will be remembered as a kind of “grace under fire”.
candice talking about how she almost left the show but she stayed because she knew the impact iris west would have on young black girls and what that representation means to them pic.twitter.com/ETA8WRvw38
— ً (@westsiriss) September 21, 2021
The show she’s been on for almost a decade disrespecting her and it only ever seems to be her time and time again despite the network saying they don’t stand for mistreatment. https://t.co/gqhCaRKE4L
— •C (@westallndiaries) June 26, 2022
The network let Candice go through years of harassment and vitriol, pretending they didn’t see it, before deciding to say something. pic.twitter.com/GK0aXuE7HL
— •C (@westallndiaries) June 26, 2022
She’s said this multiple times. https://t.co/bYorvsT8tw
— •C (@westallndiaries) June 26, 2022
Fans, advocates, and supporters have taken up the stand beside her to use their privilege and platform to share her voice and opinions on Twitter and Instagram. The distressing lack of understanding within an industry that should be established on talent and diversity is truly a step backward for the current generation.
Related article: The Flash’s Grant Gustin Speaks Out Against Racist Attacks Against Co-Star Candice Patton
