We've heard of the Bechdel test, which calls attention to gender inequality by determining whether a film meets all of the following criteria:

1. The movie has AT LEAST two women in it.
2. Who talk to one another.
3. About something besides a man.

But what about the Marron test? Ever heard of it? Prior to a few weeks ago, no one had.

Actor and writer Dylan Marron was most commonly known for his role as the voice of Carlos in the popular podcast "Welcome to Night Vale". Until now that is.

On June 17th, Marron posted a video on YouTube, compiling all of the spoken words by a person of color ("POC") in the feature film"Enough Said". All 45 seconds worth.

Four episodes and a week later, Marron began to garner media attention, and it hasn't stopped yet. While he has taken to Twitter as a means of promotion, the videos are posted directly from Marron's personal YouTube account, interlacing them with his other miscellaneous uploads. However, the series has been so well-received, that it prompted Marron to designate a home base to Tumblr.

He has released 13 installments to date, in what has become a series entitled "Every Single Word". Still, each video thus far has been less than a minute, with an average length of 32 seconds. That's less than one percent of screen time devoted to a person of color in an hour and a half length film.

It sounds shocking when you say it out loud, but even more so when you watch it before your very eyes. Sure, I've read the articles, seen the infographics, and have heard the disturbingly low percentages of media diversity rattled off countless times; but there's just something about having data translated into a visual medium, that makes it all the more real, and for a variety of reasons. As someone who has endured the systemic struggles that plague people of color in the entertainment industry, Marron understands the inherent power and efficacy of visual media, and approached accordingly.

One being that the one-dimensional and fleeting nature of statistics, such as the ones that substantiate the lack of racial diversification in Hollywood, is that they unintentionally cater to ignorance. It's easy to be met with a statistic and comprehend its meaning one minute, and let it slip out out our minds the next, going in one ear and out the other. In the past, what could have been more concrete than a calculated number? But today, in our increasingly fast-paced and mediated society, people always seem to demand additional forms of substantiation. This is not to say that all generations who are confronted with these types of studies dismiss them, or allow them to evaporate into thin air. Just that the instant gratification that comes with our technological advances, especially as it pertains to younger generations, renders some means of communication obsolete to a certain degree. We're enabled by the fact that we can now obtain information quickly and plainly in terms we can easily understand. Ask an average person to sit down and read a study about racial diversity or watch a 30-second YouTube video, and most likely they will be far more inclined to engage with the latter. Facts and figures have a habit of sticking to the page, because we can't see them live in action, but these videos stand alone and speak for themselves. By harnessing his understanding of this, Marron was able to set his mission in motion. Something we must bear in mind however, is why he went about this mission.

When we engage with a narrative, we instinctively seek out the characters that look like us. But what if no one looks like you? You don't connect with the story. What if the majority of narratives aren't comprised of anyone that looks like you? Making your options further limited and inducing feelings of complete isolation. However, it is imperative that I note that I am a white woman, by nature putting me in a position of privilege. Upon watching many of the "Every Single Word" installments, I realized that a lot of the movies Marron has re-edited are ones I enjoyed at one time or another. For all 90 minutes. I tried to imagine if my favorite films were cut short to 30 seconds. How would I feel? But that's just it. I can sit here and try to imagine how awful that might be, but there's no way of ever truly understanding. I don't get the full effect because at the end of the day, my privilege is still intact. While I may be writing this piece and feeling for this group of people that have been subjugated and systemically disadvantaged, I have never and will never experience feelings such as these. I can go home and watch a movie with a young white woman and connect with it, and it is a responsibility of my privilege to recognize that. Again and again and again.

So ask yourself this: how many children of color regularly search for narratives that match their own, only to be let down by mainstream media time and time again? Marron was one of the many. In an interview with Sojourners, he explained that growing up he was very familiar with this concept, hardly ever coming across characters and stories that reflected his own existence. It lead him to internalize it and assume he had no voice. One can only endure so much fundamental opposition against the essence of their being, before attempting to change themselves, become angry, or the least consequential, become painfully disillusioned. And that's just from being exposed to media. Marron wanted to work in the field.

Right from the onset, he was bluntly informed that not only was there a paucity of roles available to him, but that playing the lead would never be in the realm of possibilities. The media doesn't only let us down when they don't include people of color at all, but when they do include them, they continue to delegate minor roles, perpetuate age-old stereotypes and disseminate messages that simply aren't true. When we make the decision to omit or manipulate voices to sound like they always have, we commit to retrogressively digging ourselves deeper and deeper into a narrow hole of humanity.

Where are the original narratives? With lead roles? The ones that don't manifest stereotypes? The ones that aren't lazy and don't diversify simply to fulfill a race requirement? And why do we even call it diversifying in the first place? When in reality, wouldn't it be normalizing media? It's an antiquated idea that if these stories were deserving of screen time, or existed, they would be getting the attention they deserved. They do exist and they are out there, there's no doubt about that. So let's instead take a good hard look at the content creators in mainstream America media, shall we? Are they white males? Most likely. Marron reminds us that not all content creators are of this demographic.

There's loads of new talent that can be found online and in web series, in film festivals and in short films. But we have to work. Hollywood and mainstream media aren't going to change overnight or do it for us. If we want to even the score, we have to realize a few things. First, that we have the power to dictate what we see, simply by saying what we want. When you unpack mainstream media, all they do is feed us things and we unconsciously consume them without taking a second look. But it's time to retaliate and feed it back to them. Say you don't want it by seeking out real and original stories from new creators. There's always a potential for redefining what an American audience craves, even if that seems unrealistic, but it starts with baby steps. It starts with checking our privilege at the door and challenging it. It starts with recognizing that society needs different vantage points, starting with this article. All I am is an ally and that's all good and fine, but we need to listen to these types of stories from people who have dealt with it first hand, people unlike me. We need to listen to those screaming it from the rooftops, the ones that are being disregarded because of their race. Their stories and perspectives are most important. We need not let Dylan Marron's dream die. We need to keep watching this salient series, and we need to stay informed. It's uncomfortable, yes, but change doesn't begin in your comfort zone.