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#OscarsStillSoWhite Shows Black Talent Got Snubbed Again in Academy Award Nominations

By | Published on January 14, 2016
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The 2016 Oscar Nominations hit this morning, revealing a complete shutout of people of color in major categories. For example:

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Matt Damon, The Martian

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Micheal Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room

Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

These particular categories did not reflect the great work of successful non-white majority films of the year. Films like Cary Fukunaga’s Beasts of No Nation was completely shut out, even though actor Idris Elba gave a stellar and dynamic performance as a leader of child soldiers. Movies like Straight Outta Compton, one of the highest grossing films of 2015, had great performances all around but the film was only nominated for Best Original Screenplay. It would have made sense if Creed’s Ryan Coogler and Straight Outta Compton’s F. Gary Gray received Best Directing nominations. Those films offered some of the best directing this year and there is no recognition for the people who created them.

Every year, the Oscars focus on films that no one has seen in theaters. The smaller the film, the better for the Academy, but there were too many great popular films to exclude them all.  Shutouts have been common place following the 2013 Oscars, when Gravity and 12 Years a Slave (two films directed by POC) dominated the show.

Many people would point out that Chris Rock is hosting, but he will more than likely be the only major Black face you see who is not handing out awards to white filmmakers. Twitter users resurrected @ReignofApril ‘s #OscarsSoWhite and #OscarsStillSoWhite to show that progressive Hollywood has a long way to go.

https://twitter.com/MissNikkiStar/status/687680140885659648

https://twitter.com/KuntaGotHoes/status/687682704830263297

https://twitter.com/GoddessKerriLyn/status/687645276211916800

https://twitter.com/ubeempress/status/687330368903487488

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