Pictured is a look at the lead actress, lead actor, supporting actress and supporting actor nominees.
For me, the good news is that it was immediately noticed that the nominees for this year’s Oscar’s lacked visible racial/ethnic and gender diversity. All 20 nominees in the actor and actress categories are white. The directors and screenwriters nominated are all male. Twenty years ago, it would have likely not been a big news story because most of us just accepted these kinds of outcomes as the norm. So, I am elated that there was an immediate and vociferous outcry from many sectors that in 2015, how could it be that no people of color were nominated in any category and that no women were nominated in the director and screenwriter category?
After all, the president of the Academy is a Black woman. Doesn’t this mean that they have taken care of the diversity thing? Wesley Morris, who writes for the online magazine Grantland, was interviewed by NPR last week and he opined that when people of color are nominated for an Oscar, it is usually for roles like slaves, housekeepers, maids and butlers. I would add or villains and vixens. Denzel Washington’s first Oscar for best actor in a leading role was for Training Day, his first portrayal as a “bad” guy and Halle Berry won an Oscar for Monster’s Ball in 2001, where she was portrayed in a particularly raw and graphic sex scene. She was the first African American woman to win an Oscar. Viola Davis was nominated in 2012 for her role in the Help (she played a maid).
Even though the president of the Academy if a Black woman (Cheryl Boone Isaacs), the composition of those who make the decision is not very diverse. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is comprised of 6000 members. Membership in the Academy is by invitation only. Invitation comes from the Board of Governors. There are 58 members on the Board of Governors and as far as I can tell Cheryl Boone Isaacs is the only person of color. There are 15 women. Membership eligibility may be achieved by earning a competitive Oscar nomination, or an existing member may submit a name based on another significant contribution to the field of motion pictures.
As of 2012, the demographic breakout of the 6000 members was as follows
| White | 94% |
| Male | 77% |
| Over 50 years of age | 86% |
The average age of members is 62 years old. From a diversity perspective, I think there is something wrong with this picture (pun intended). I do hope that the outcry caused by this year’s selections will lead to the Academy looking beyond the “token” Black leader to its selection process for membership!
The Inclusion Solution: Diversify the Board of Governors! Cheryl Isaacs cannot do it all by herself.
