After the uproar about the Oscar nominations for this year’s awards, I thought I would write a blog on why it’s important to acknowledge diversity in film through the Oscars.

I think that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and although some people may feel like the Oscars do not matter, I feel that they are a step in the right direction.

Growing up, all I could see were white faces on television shows and white actors on posters. I felt disconnected from my identity because of the lack of black representation in media and even when there was representation, it wasn’t always positive or accurate.

When you grow up in a world where everything you consume is white it really messes with your self-esteem. It makes you feel like your interests aren’t valid, or even worse… it makes you question whether or not your interests are valid because they don’t seem to be represented anywhere.

I remember going to the library when I was around 8 years old and never seeing any books with black people as main characters. It made me feel like I couldn’t connect with any characters because they didn’t look like me or have similar experiences to me. This is also true for television shows and movies;

Hello Everyone,

I was sort of hoping to avoid this topic for a little bit longer, but the e-mails and DM’s have kept piling up asking for my opinion about the Oscar nominations. And so I am writing this blog to share why I feel that the Oscar nominations are a step in the right direction, and to share some thoughts on why we need diversity in film, and how it can be achieved.

For starters, let me say that I think everybody is a little tired of me talking about diversity. I chose to talk about it on Oscar Sunday, which is unfortunate because one of the points I made was to reiterate that films are not about campaigns. And then, I did a couple of other talks about it at a couple of other award shows. So if people feel like I have gotten on my high horse too much in this past year or two, they are probably right. It seems like every year I am asked “who do you want to win?” And every year I say “the best film should win.”

But as someone who has been fortunate enough to be at the Academy Awards for three of the last four years (because of The Help and 12 Years a Slave), I would very much like the

When the Oscar nominations came out yesterday, one of the most notable things about them was the diversity that was seen in the nominees. There were several black actors who were nominated, including Will Smith for Concussion, Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation and Michael B. Jordan for Creed. This is a very important step forward in terms of making sure that we see diversity in film.

I think it’s important to acknowledge this because for so many years Hollywood has been dominated by white men and women. It’s great to see that times are changing and there is room for diversity in Hollywood. As someone who has watched movies since they were young, I have found myself watching movies where it’s all white actors being nominated or winning Academy Awards and that can be disappointing when you are not white. It’s a great feeling to know that things are changing and there will be more people like me being recognized as having talent in this industry.

I really hope that these changes continue and we see even more diversity in Hollywood, especially with women directors. I feel like things are finally moving forward in terms of acknowledging minorities and women in Hollywood, but there is still work to be done!

It’s no secret that we still have a long way to go when it comes to acknowledging diversity in film. And yet, the 2016 Oscar nominations gave me hope for the future, as they were more diverse than ever before.

The Oscars are meant to represent the best of filmmaking and acting each year. That’s why it was so disheartening last year when all 20 acting nominees were white. It felt like a slap in the face to all those actors of color who had done such incredible work during the year. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association faced similar criticism for not nominating any people of color; so much so that on Monday, they announced that they would be doubling their efforts to diversify their membership.

But this year was different: every acting category had at least one person of color nominated. We saw Idris Elba nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor for Beasts of No Nation, Will Smith nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role in Concussion, and Michael B. Jordan nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role in Creed. This is only the beginning!

While I know there may be some Academy members out there who feel threatened by this influx of diverse talent, I am optimistic about our future as an industry because we have begun

This week the Academy of Motion Pictures announced their nominations for this year’s Oscars. I was shocked and offended to hear that not a single person of color was nominated in any category. This is 2015, not even 2015 BC! I’m so sick of hearing about how “diversity isn’t important.” Of course it is! Why do you think the Oscars are important? They’re not just a bunch of famous people handing out awards to other famous people—they’re an award show that rewards ACTORS and ACTRESSES for their acting. And guess what? Not all actors are white.

Some people say that they don’t care about the Oscars because they’re only awards, but you have to remember that celebrities are people too. They have problems like everyone else: drug addiction, alcoholism, being rich. But most importantly, they have feelings. How would YOU feel if you worked your whole life and didn’t even get nominated for an award? You wouldn’t be happy at all! And it wouldn’t matter if you were a plumber or an actor—this is America, where we all deserve equal opportunity!

I know that some people

When I first heard the news that this year’s Oscar nomination list was full of diversity, I was ecstatic. There were some amazing performances given by actors and actresses of color this year – Will Smith, Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan, Abraham Attah, Samuel L. Jackson, Mya Taylor (an actress who has been acting for years and never received an Oscar nomination until now), and that’s only naming a few.

I have always believed that the Oscars are a joke. They’re a popularity contest that is rigged to give white actors awards. There are plenty of great performances given by actors and actresses of color every year but they go unnoticed because most Hollywood directors don’t want to hire people of color for their movies. Hollywood still has a long way to go before we see true diversity but the fact that this many people of color were nominated for an Oscar is a step in the right direction.

The Academy Awards are the highest honors in film. They bring together the biggest stars, directors and producers to celebrate the year’s best films. And as of this week, we know who will be attending this year’s festivities.

That being said, it is no secret that the Oscars have not been a bastion for diversity in recent years. Last year’s