#Oscarssowhite: where does the root of the problem really lie?

Kali Klisures | Contributing Writer

The nominations for the 88th Academy Awards were revealed just two weeks ago, but the announcement was immediately met with outrage at the lack of diversity among nominees.

For the second year in a row there are no actors of color nominated: all twenty acting nominees are white. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite is trending again, just as it was this time last year. Many celebrities have spoken out against this injustice, and some, including Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, have decided to boycott the ceremony. But is the Academy (of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) really the issue here? The Academy and the films it chose to produce nominees from are a reflection of a much larger underlying issue in all of Hollywood.

There are four films made by and starring people of color that critics of the Academy believe were snubbed this year. Those films are “Creed,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “Concussion” and “Beasts of No Nation.” “Creed” was directed by a black man and starred a black man, but only a white actor in the film received a nomination. The only nomination received by “Straight Outta Compton” was for its screenplay, written by white people. While these choices surely raise questions about the nomination process, the most pressing concern has to be why there are only four films starring people of color on mainstream audiences’ radars.

A recent study was done at the University of Southern California in which researchers examined the top 100 highest-grossing films each year from 2007-2014 and analyzed the diversity of over 30,000 characters. The study found that in 2014, 73.1% of characters were white. Barely a quarter of non-white characters were included in these films. The study then found that the amount of racial diversity in films had not increased between 2007-2014.

So what’s the deal? Are audiences not interested in stories about people of color? Why are these stories not getting the funding or recognition they deserve?

In a 2015 interview, “Selma” director Ava Duvernay expressed her thoughts. “Something that comes with some point of view and some personal perspective from a woman or a person of color is a unicorn,” said Duvernay. “When you just imagine that there’s one type of voice that’s really being pushed to the forefront is the white male voice.” Duvernay is right: movies are still being made from the white male perspective, even movies about women or people of color.

When diversity in the film industry has not improved in nearly a decade, a solution must be sought. Change is in the hands of audiences. It is up to us as consumers to make it known that we want to see different perspectives and watch different stories.

Change is also in the hands of filmmakers. Duvernay offered her own ambitious solution when she stated, “Where I work is in an industry that really has no regard for my voice and the voice of people like me, and so what do I do? Keep knocking on that door or build your own house?”