Since the announcement of the Oscar nominations last week, there have been growing concerns about the lack of diversity in the nominees for this year’s awards.
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This is the second consecutive year that actors of color have been ignored by the Academy; Lee and Pinkett Smith are refusing to attend this year’s ceremony.
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs released a statement Monday about the “lack of inclusion” at the 2016 Oscars, saying that she is “heartbroken and frustrated”. “It has me thinking about unconscious prejudice and what merits prestige in our culture”.
“The Awards should not dictate the terms of art in our modern society, but rather be a diverse reflection of the best of what our art has to offer today”, wrote Nyong’o.
A day after calling for an Oscars boycott Lee who has an honorary Oscar said Hollywood had fallen behind music and sports in reflecting racial diversity.
Recent additions among black actors, musicians and directors include Chris Rock – the 2016 Oscars host -, Oscar victor Lupita Nyong’o, Prince, Pharrell Williams, “Selma” director Ava DuVernay, comedian Kevin Hart and Steve McQueen, the black British director of 2014 Oscar-winning movie “12 years a Slave“. “I’m not going to do that”, he said.
“I think around 2004, certainly there were black nominees-like Don Cheadle, Morgan Freeman”.
The African-American actor, an outspoken commentator on racism in Hollywood, was selected by Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs back in October 2015 to MC the event on February 28 in Los Angeles.
“People even complain even when we have a lot of nominations”. George Clooney, in comments to Variety, said that after earlier progress by the industry, “you feel like we’re moving in the wrong direction”. “There were nominations left off the table”, he continued.
Clooney said “there should be more opportunity than that”. “By the way, we’re talking about African Americans”.
John Singleton Oscar-nominated for directing the 1991 film “Boyz n the Hood” said nominations for the industry’s most prestigious awards are a lottery.
He added: “For Hispanics, it’s even worse”.
Spike said on Good Morning America ” I have never used the word boycott”.
Nyong’o, 32, also shared a quote from novelist James Baldwin: “Not everything that is faced can be changed”.
The acclaimed filmmaker said “we need the Rooney Rule”, a reference to the National Football League requirement that football teams interview at least one minority candidate every time a senior position opens up. “But nothing can be changed until it is faced”.
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The controversy has put pressure on the academy, whose top leader said this week it would review membership recruitment and pledged to make “big changes”. “There were four films this year: “Creed” could have gotten nominations; “Concussion” could have gotten Will Smith a nomination; Idris Elba could have been nominated for “Beasts of No Nation”; and “Straight Outta Compton” could have been nominated”.
