So, it’s Black History Month. It’s Black History Month and it’s time to talk about diversity. It’s also time to talk about Hollywood and the film industry.
By this point, most of us have probably seen the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, and now is the perfect time to discuss why it exists. This hashtag was started when the 2015 Academy Awards had no people of color (POC) in any of the acting categories. Five categories dedicated to acting and not one person of color. So, #OscarsSoWhite begins. Beginning on Twitter, this hashtag has since last year been a place for people to write their opinions on Hollywood’s diversity issue. Let’s remember one of the biggest snubs of the 2015 awards, Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, a black woman. People were shocked when this film did not win the biggest award of the night, “Best Motion Picture of the Year.” Now we fast forward to the nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards, and for the second consecutive year, not one person of color was nominated in the acting categories.
“It’s actually worse than last year. Best Documentary and Best Original Screenplay. That’s it. #OscarsSoWhite,” tweeted April Reign, who is credited with being the creator of the hashtag. When people began to guess who would be nominated in the acting categories, some of the names thrown around were Idris Elba in Beasts of No Nation, Will Smith in Concussion, and Michael B. Jordan in Creed. However, none of these men were nominated. They weren’t even nominated.
This led me to wonder a few things:
1) Who is to blame? Is it the Academy?
2) Is it the writers who are not writing roles for black people?
3) Is it the casting directors who are whitewashing everything? OR,
4) Is it the industry as a whole white machine?
These are questions that can be debated back and forth all day, and I think many of us will agree that this is a problem that is deeply rooted in the industry as a whole. The writers are writing with white people in mind, the casting directors are casting with white people in mind, the producers are paying for white people, the directors are directing white people, etc. It is a vicious cycle that will continue until we demand change, and we are. We as people, we as black people, we as white allies, we as a whole people against a racist industry. We demand change, and eventually we are heard. As a white person, you are privileged. You are privileged because you are a part of the race who is in power. Acknowledge your privilege and help be the change. Stop seeing movies that are whitewashed. Stop threatening to boycott a film when a black actor is cast and you wanted them to be white. Just because blackface isn’t used anymore doesn’t mean whitewashing is not still very prominent. Rooney Mara was cast as Tiger Lily in Pan, Russel Crowe in Noah, Christian Bale in Exodus: Gods and Kings. The list goes on and on and on. There is a problem in Hollywood, and it’s time to call them out. Call them out and make them change.
It’s Black History Month and it’s time to talk about diversity. It’s time for change.