Marta Kauffman, co-creator of 'Associates,' 'embarrassed' now by its lack of range

"Perhaps there must be an all-Black 'Associates' or an all-Asian 'Associates,'" stated Schwimmer, who performed Ross for 10 seasons. "However I used to be properly conscious of the shortage of range and I campaigned for years to have Ross date ladies of shade. One of many first girlfriends I had on the present was an Asian-American girl, and later I dated African-American ladies. That was a really aware push on my half."

That did not go over properly with some who identified that the all-Black solid comedy "Residing Single" aired from 1993 to 1998 (predating "Associates" by a yr") and, like "Associates," centered on six younger adults and their intertwined lives in New York Metropolis.

Kauffman, who created "Associates" with David Crane, informed the LA Occasions that she got here to raised perceive systemic racism within the US after the George Floyd homicide and consequently the complaints in regards to the present.

That helped inspire her to pledge $4 million to her alma mater, Brandeis College in Boston, for the institution of an endowed professorship within the faculty's African and African American research division.

Because the endowment was introduced, Kauffman stated she's "gotten nothing however love."

"It has been wonderful. It stunned me to some extent, as a result of I did not anticipate the information to go this huge," she stated. "I've gotten a flood of emails and texts and posts which have been nothing however supportive. I've gotten a number of 'It is about time.' Not in a imply method. It is simply individuals acknowledging it was lengthy overdue."