15 Times We Made Progress In 2015 On Issues That Matter Most

Television became a more relatable space this year mostly because networks opened up their shows to actors of varying backgrounds, and many of said actors were acknowledged for their work.  

ABC, for example, became the first network in history to air three shows simultaneously with Asian leads, two of which feature Asian families. “Jane the Virgin,” a show about a family of working-class Hispanic women in Miami, also portrays rich Latino characters without relying on tired stereotypes. “Empire” introduced us to a new kind of black woman that television sorely lacked. “[Cookie Lyon is] a fearless businesswoman who is about her money and also fiercely loyal to her family, but she isn't Claire Huxtable,” Zeba Blay, HuffPost Voices culture writer, wrote.

And, Viola Davis won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and seized the historic moment to celebrate, and to remind the industry how much work still needs to be done.

"The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity," she said in her acceptance speech.

Speaking of work that needs to be done, advocates are still pushing for more diversity behind the scenes. People of color, for example, made up only 5 percent of executive producers in the 2014-2015 season.  “It's true, there is a shift -- the sheer amount of conversation around the idea alone is a sign that we're moving forward,” Blay wrote in another post this year. “But do a handful of shows with POC leads (the majority of them black, and straight) really mean progress?”