by Analisa Novak
There is something wrong with Hollywood when not a single black actor or actress are nominated for the most prestigious awards of the industry.
On Jan. 14 the academy announced the nominees for the 88th Oscars ceremony. Of the top nominees, not a single black actor or actress was nominated. While this is disheartening, the worst part is there were some very strong actors who could have been contenders for these categories. Will Smith, who was selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press as a Best Actor contender for the Golden Globes, was completely shut out. Michael B. Jordan, who portrayed the heart and determination of a boxer in the movie “Creed,” saw his white costar Sylvester Stallone get nominated instead. Idris Elba, who played an African warlord in “Beast of No Nation,” didn’t get a single nomination. “Straight Outta Compton,” a movie about a black rap group, did receive a nomination for its screenplay — the writer happens to be white.
Do you see where the outrage lies? Jada Pinkett Smith, actress and wife of Will Smith, is calling for a boycott of the awards. She spoke on the issue this past Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “Today is Martin Luther King’s birthday, and I can’t help but ask the question: Is it time that people of color recognize how much power and influence that we have amassed, that we no longer need to ask to be invited anywhere?”
In an interesting twist, the host of the 88th Oscars ceremony happens to be black comedian Chris Rock, which raised the points Smith and director Spike Lee have mentioned. How does the academy request black stars to entertain during the show, but refuse to acknowledge them as actors? They are invited to walk the red carpet, to present and perform, but not as potential recipients for awards acknowledging their work.
Even more upsetting, looking at past black Oscar recipients, the winners were awarded for their portrayals of slaves, maids or persons with psychosis. There are only 10 black women who have won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
It doesn’t just impact actors. It also crosses over to the directing and producing. Five films produced by African Americans have been nominated for Best Picture, “12 Years a Slave” being the only one to ever win the award.
Why in the glamorous city of Hollywood are we seeing problems that plague towns like Ferguson and Chicago? The answer is simple – because these issues aren’t going away. If history has taught anything of racial dominance, it’s that it’s only stopped when we all unite and say, “no more.”