NAACP+ Launches Inside the Industry Podcast With Ariana Drummond as Host
Watch YouTube video → Ariana Drummond on Hosting Inside the Industry Podcast | NAACP+
The NAACP's Director of Talent and Media Relations steps in front of the camera to give the next generation the access they've been asking for — featuring Algee Smith, Devon Franklin, Mario Van Peebles, and more.
For over 15 years, Ariana Drummond has been the person behind the scenes making things happen. From her early days interning at BET after studying communications at Hampton University, to stints at Warner Bros. Entertainment, to now serving as Director of Talent and Media Relations at the NAACP — she's built her career in the rooms most people are trying to get into. Now, she's using everything she knows to build a door wide enough for the next generation to walk through.
That door has a name: Inside the Industry. The new NAACP+ original podcast series premiered April 15, with new episodes dropping every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen.
The transition from behind the camera to in front of it wasn't automatic. "I had to mull it over. I had to pray about it," Drummond told Mostly Sugar. But when the opportunity came, presented by a mentor who she says pushed her to think outside the box, she leaned into what made her uniquely qualified: decades of proximity to the people her audience most wants to learn from. "As a publicist, I've had so much experience working behind the scenes with different actors, directors, writers. I felt like I could really provide the insight and the value that people needed."
The conversation she's creating is one that a lot of people have been waiting for. Drummond is clear that the knowledge typically gatekept within industry circles needs to reach everywhere — not just LA and New York. "I don't want Mississippi or Texas or non-entertainment-focused markets to feel left out. We wanted to use this platform to go wide and spread it out for different people who want these opportunities." In a climate where Black creatives are being squeezed from multiple directions, Inside the Industry positions itself as both practical and political, offering access as a form of resistance.
What sets the series apart, Drummond says, is the intimacy of the format. No production crew hovering in the background. No performance for the cameras. "It's literally just me and the guest. There's a comfortability that I offer. I think it's a different kind of conversation when it's just Black people talking to Black people, we're a safe, close-knit community." That FUBU energy is intentional, and it shows in the caliber of guests who've signed on.
The upcoming episode lineup reads like a masterclass series. Nkechi Okoro Carroll, showrunner of All American, breaks down what it actually means to run a writers' room. Mario Van Peebles sits down to discuss directing as a legacy-building act. DeVon Franklin brings the producer's perspective on getting projects made. Algee Smith, fresh off his role in The Gates, is also on the roster. And Drummond teased an exclusive to Mostly Sugar: she's in talks with Erica Alexander's team for a taping in the coming weeks.
Episodes Coming This Season
The Showrunner's Blueprint
Nkechi Okoro Carroll · All American
Calling Action: The Director's Power Move
Mario Van Peebles · Director
The Producer's Perspective
DeVon Franklin · Executive Producer
Deal Makers & Dream Builders
James Swoope · Macro88
Designing the Future
Brandon Gray · Fashion Designer
The Vertical Shift: Stories Aren't Just Changing
Wendy Calhoun · Writer
The series is planned through the summer, with Drummond noting it will run until approximately August before the NAACP pivots to relaunching Image Unscripted ahead of Image Awards season. But for now, Inside the Industry has the floor, and Drummond is using every minute of it to make sure the people who've been knocking on Hollywood's door finally get a straight answer from someone who's been holding the keys. "I really hope people learn and find this valuable," she said. "We're giving you the inside scoop. The tips. The insider advice. All the things." Consider this your invitation.
New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
Watch on YouTube →