"The Simpsons" will no longer hire white actors to play characters of color

Characters of color in the Simpsons will no longer be voiced by white actors, the show's producers said in a statement on Friday.

The state of play: One character on the show, Apu, was seen as an offensive caricature that "perpetuated ugly stereotypes about South Asians" to many Indian Americans and immigrants, the New York Times' Vikas Bajaj wrote in 2018. Apu was played by a white actor, Hank Azaria, until he stepped away from the role in February.

The big picture: The show's decision comes amid a broader cultural shift to acknowledge white privilege and racism, following more than a month of Black Lives Matter protests and social media activism.

• Additionally, one of the primary voice actors on "Family Guy" says he'll stop playing the show's main Black character.

Go deeper: Race's media moment