Cecil Robinson
Staff Writer
cecil.robinson@hawks.shorter.edu
Photo by: MCT Campus
Oscars are awarded during the annual Academy Awards ceremony. This year’s ceremony is surrounded by controversy.
Recently, the 88th Academy Awards or “Oscars” ceremony has faced a series of backlash from notable actors and actress after nominations were deemed unfair regarding lack of diversity.
This year Oscars are under fire after they failed to nominate any person of color in any acting categories for the second year in a row. African-American performers and civil right organizations alike have planned to boycott the show to stand against the lack of diversity in Hollywood.
Many actors such as Spike Lee, Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, and best supporting actress for her performance in “12 Years a Slave” Luptia Nyong’o have all come forward to show their disapproval for this year’s Academy Award nominations.
Even though many of the ones boycotting the show have won an award, speaking up against this kind of inequality is the appropriate thing to do. Standing by and allowing injustice of this caliber would only enhance the poor equality in America.
Some on campus don’t suppor the boycott. “I don’t think boycotting the Oscars is the right way to go. These performers should still go to the Oscars to support all movies and people. As people we should still take a stand by voicing our opinion that African-Americans deserve recognition,” Director of Residence Life Anthony Chatmon said.
For years, people of color have never been treated as equals in Hollywood. The work that African-Americans do, compared to their counterparts, is never seen as equal, and they rarely receive the proper recognition they deserve.
“All people of color are hindered by lack of opportunity. But when you include being African-American and a woman it’s even harder to be taken serious,” sophomore pre-nursing Jasmine Crump said.
People of color are not the only group who has been overlooked by the film industry, particularly the Oscars.
Discrimination of any stature has and will always continue to divide Americans if proper action is not taken.
On the other hand, many other actors and actresses have voiced their support for the Oscars. Actress Whoopi Goldberg and nominee Charlotte Rampling are just a few performers who are in favor of the Oscars current nominee selection.
According to a French interview, Rampling stated that this year’s controversy over the nominees is “racist to whites”. The statement made by her is unsettling and undermines the basic struggles that African-Americans go through on a daily basis.
The controversy facing the Oscars is about more than winning a golden statue, but instead about appreciation and being recognized for the work that someone has done. The actors and actress who have spoken up are not doing this for their own benefit but instead for the younger generation of performers. Younger people of color need to know that their hard work is valued and that discrimination is wrong.
“By not attending the Oscars, these performers are showing the younger generation that if you don’t get your way then you should not participate in anything. Even if you don’t get recognized, you should still pursue your dream,” Chatmon said.
Americans and the film industry still have a long way to go, but now that social issues regarding race and gender are being talked about it shows that society is making strides in the right direction.
