There’s been a lot of talk about diversity or lack there of shall I say regarding the Oscar nominations. The definition of diverse is of different kind, of varying types. Sadly enough society is attracted to sameness and encourages conformity because that's how it thrives—the social machine is inherently opposed to anything or anyone “different”. Because of power distinctions, people and/or institutions consciously and subconsciously desire to uphold the “status quo”. One’s actions or lack of actions can often become motivated by fear of change—as change can threaten the “status quo”. This is the unfortunate reality of what deters social progress and perpetuates inequality, especially if we are discussing cinema as an art form and industry operating within the profit centric realm of capitalism. Nevertheless, here’s the wake up call—underrepresentation of minorities and women not only exists in Hollywood, but also in other industries such as technology. For example, in the film industry women made up only 13% of the director positions on movies that achieved theatrical release in 2015. In “tech” women held only 14% of executive positions in 2015.
Before we point fingers and accuse the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for being racist or solely responsible for the Oscars being “so white”, I urge you to look at the big picture—as the Oscars, an annual American awards ceremony for film, is a mere byproduct of a deeper rooted problem with Hollywood and America at large. Since the beginning of our nation’s inception, institutionalized racism was fully initiated by the physical and psychological chains of slavery. And for centuries, African Americans have been fighting for freedom and equality—battling against social stigmas that fueled segregation and the unjust legal barriers that prohibited blacks the right to vote. To make matters worse, for decades of TV and film history, African Americans were often depicted “on screen” as superficial stereotypes of inferior people in background roles. And yes, over time civil rights amendments have been enforced, and social progress has been achieved, but implicit inequality (the social psychological repercussions) continues to pervade our society as a negative symptom of years of disenfranchisement and marginalization.
So how can we, as a society, learn from “Oscars So White” without polarizing the issue of race and driving a deeper divide between black and white? Adding more diversity to the Academy’s voter composition may or may not help. I certainly don’t believe firing or vilifying current members is the right approach in addressing a greater issue at hand. I think change starts with creating more opportunities for minorities in front and behind the camera. It begins with gaining diverse representation amongst studio executives and the creators of content. In a recent article discussing this Oscar controversy, Dr. Todd Boyd, a former professor of mine at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, said “there can't be many nominees until people are given the opportunity in prominent, meaningful roles”. Let's get the “movers and shakers” involved; after all, they create the films the Academy nominates.