The headline of a leading “black news” publication, The Root, screamed “Selma’s Oscar Snub a Complete Injustice.”
While the film about the civil rights movement was nominated for best film, and best song, that wasn’t good enough for activists in the black community.
Writer Stephen Crockett lamented, “Two?! Ava DuVernay, who seemingly had a real chance to become the first black woman director to get an Oscar nomination, failed to get a nod, as did actor David Oyelowo, whose performance as the civil rights icon has earned praise from all corners.”
The Hollywood Reporter took the lack of recognition along racial lines a step further with the headline, “Oscars: Acting Nominees All White.”
All nominees were also white as recently in 2011 and 1998.
As with affirmative action based hiring, merit appears to go beyond . . . . well . . . merit in the eyes of those upset with the nominations.
In the case of Selma, critics have stated that the production team behind the film failed to send screeners to members of the Academy – a surefire way to go unnoticed during nominations.
Lauren Duca with the Huffington Post cried, “2015 will be the worst year for diversity in Hollywood.”
She went on to elaborate by writing, “If there’s a lesson to be learned here it’s that we have a long way to go before we can truly talk about progress being made. Also: this sucks.”
Is progress giving awards, jobs and recognition to people based on the color of their skin or is progress the ability to look past race and recognize talent and skill?
Note that those complaining of the lack of diversity are not claiming racism, they are simply protesting the lack of recognition to black actors and directors regardless of merit . . . which in the end begs the question, who is the racist?