Producer Will Packer has never been shy about sharing his opinion, even as he’s become a public figure. In a season when so many of Hollywood’s boldface names have kept a low profile when it comes to politics, Packer has taken to stages in recent weeks to advocate for causes and candidates that he believes in. On Oct. 23, Packer led a rally at his alma mater, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where he urged students to flex their power by voting in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
He appeared with Angie Nixon and David Jolly, Democratic candidates in Florida’s election for U.S. and governor, respectively. He told the crowd that decades of Republican control in the Sunshine State have led to significant underfunding of Florida A&M (also known as FAMU), and that it is time for change. At the event, Packer revealed that he is launching a private fundraising effort for FAMU, which is part of Florida’s state university system.
It is one of 107 schools in the U.S. that are designated Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Packer aims to build a private fundraising model for FAMU that he intends to extend to other HBCUs down the road. Packer has built his public profile as a prolific supplier of distinctive movies and TV shows, from “Girls Trip” and “Straight Outta Compton” to the Peacock limited series “Fight Night” and the 2022 Academy Awards telecast.
With the extraordinary events of the past two years — from the Trump administration’s assault on DEI programs to Florida’s efforts to denude the history of slavery from high school curriculums — Packer felt strongly motivated to speak out in support of candidates including Nixon and Jolly as well as Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat who is running for governor of Georgia. I’m not in front of the camera, but I still have a profile, certainly with African American audiences who have been very supportive of my content,” Packer tells Variety. Packer feels a responsibility to speak out against what he sees as grave threats to the future of the nation and the democratic system.
Packer echoes the sentiments of other commentators and pollsters who say a strong turnout among Black voters in key states such as Florida, Georgia and Texas could tip the scales for Democrats in those states. Black voters have been the key to the Democrats’ success because of our engaged turnout. When we are excited, engaged, and come out as a community and let our voices be heard, it matters,” Packer says.
Let me tell you how I see this.’ ” From Packer’s perspective, a large percentage of Black voters feel disenfranchised by the events of the past two years. He’s trying to remind them that the most powerful step they can take to initiate change is to fill out a ballot by Nov. 3. This is what’s important in the movie industry.
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