Victoria Rowell Y&R
Credit: Image: Wenn.com

Young and Restless alum looks forward to more progress.

CBS, the network behind soap operas The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless, announced plans to address off-screen diversity issues to be more inclusive where television creators and writers are concerned. The broadcaster is committing 25% of its script development budget to projects from black, indigenous, and people of color for the upcoming 2021/2022 season. A related mandate decreed that CBS writers’ rooms must be staffed with a minimum of 40% BIPOC representation, with that guideline increasing to 50% for the 2022/2023 television season.

The move comes amid the Black Lives Matter movement and criticism aimed at the television and film industries with regard to related issues, including on daytime soap operas. CBS’ Bold and Beautiful and Young and Restless’ lack of diversity both behind-the-scenes and onscreen have been called out recently, but also on an ongoing basis.

Victoria Rowell, who played Young and Restless’ Drucilla Winters, has been perhaps the most outspoken actor in regard to these issues and took to her Instagram account to react to the announced changes. She posted an emphatic, “FINALLY!” then followed with an explanation, “As many know I fight the good fight for executive C-Suite #diversity & #inclusion.” Rowell detailed her career with CBS and her efforts to push for more inclusion before recalling the end result. “The unadulterated backlash for daring to help the company diversify, to speak out when it was “unheard” of to campaign about anything close to #blacklivesmatter behind the cameras was met with an aggressive attempted suppression.” As to the upcoming commitment to change, the actress enthused, “I never doubted this day & more to come.”

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FINALLY! As many know I fight the good fight for executive C-Suite #diversity & #inclusion. I, a loyal @viacomcbs contract employee worked as an actress, writer, choreographer in daytime #drama @youngandrestlesscbs & primetime #murdermystery #diagnosismurder and more for an aggregate 22 years of devoted, award-winning service —pushed for & won some behind-the-camera union pension & health #jobs for #black @wgawest to #local706 workers as well as paid #black production assistants from the Los Angeles foster care community under the National Amusements umbrella. But with it came the unexpected wrath of former CEO #LeslieMoonves “I don’t want Victoria Rowell on my Network,” as was reported by a CBS exec on anonymity to @naturbanleague. The unadulterated backlash for daring to help the company diversify, to speak out when it was “unheard” of to campaign about anything close to #blacklivesmatter behind the cameras was met with an aggressive attempted suppression. My FAITH, family, friends & loyal #fans fortified me for a long, bitterly cold, punitive winter. Some years averaging @sagaftra union wages at $4,000+ for the entire year, to send me a clear message to STOP talking about lack of diversity in the industry. During this well documented witch-hunt which included @Sony @sptv (Steve Kent) #SteveKentSonyMUSTGO …I never lost sight of the end game— #inclusion #economicdiversity for #africanamericans & other minorities #justice. THANK YOU @cheeksieg #GeorgeCheeks @viacomcbs President/CEO! I never doubted this day & more to come. #blacklivesmatter (copy/paste/read below) https://deadline.com/2020/07/cbs-diversity-plans-25-script-budget-40-writers-target-1202984315/

A post shared by Victoria Rowell (@victoriarowell) on

Rowell specifically called out Sony’s Steve Kent in her post for being part of the “well-documented witch-hunt” against her. With sources whispering that CBS may be interested in talking to the popular, very much missed actress, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, develops given that Kent is still the senior executive vice president of programming in charge of Young and Restless.

More: Michelle Stafford, Eric Braeden prepare for Y&R return

Check out the gallery of Victoria Rowell’s Drucilla Winters over the years on Young and Restless, then make sure you’re signed up for Soaps.com’s newsletter to get more features and soap news delivered straight to your inbox.