A Look into the History of the Oscar's Representation

            Given that the 89^th Academy Awards take place this Sunday, I am choosing to write about my take on how the Oscars represents diversity.  Oscars 2016 was highly reprimanded and subsequently boycotted for its lack of African American, and other minority group nominees.  While there were certainly some people of color nominated, it was not in any of the major categories.  As a result, the Oscars were deemed “so white” and a twitter trend followed in suit: #OscarsSoWhite.  This year, 2017, there is much more representation of minority groups in major categories, including “Moonlight” for Best Picture, which contains a predominantly Black cast.  However, one year of impressive representation does not overshadow the past 88 years.  The historical representation of nominees at the Academy Awards provides an over arching view on how multiculturalism is represented in the media. 

            Let us first take a look into the past. The first Oscar awards were hosted on May 16, 1929.  However, the first African American to be nominated for Best Actor was not until 1958, 19 years later.  The first win in this category was not until 5 years later, in 1963.  At the time, Black people were not a priority in the view’s of society, much less at the Academy Awards.  They were deemed as an “Other” so to say – a group of people that fell outside of the in-groups way of life (including popular culture activities) While a notion such as this would not be tolerated in today’s society (refer to Oscar boycotting) back then, there was not the same rebellion against the system as there are now – Black people simply wanted to be recognized and equal (although the meaning of equality was and still is distorted).  Bell Hooks says this, “marginalized groups, deemed Other, who have been ignored, rendered invisible, can be seduced by the emphasis on Otherness, by its commodification, because it offers the promise of recognition and reconciliation.”  While the context may not be the same in relation to this topic, it rings true nonetheless.  Through research of the civil rights period, it is evident that there are some Black people who wanted to be accepted into society and treated as equal, and some who demanded, rightfully so, more.  African Americans who were recognized at past Oscars may not have been as upset at the lack of diversity, but instead thrilled that they were finally getting the recognition that they deserved – a mindset falling under double consciousness.

            Further suppressing African Americans at past Oscars was the overall culture surrounding the awards ceremony.  This is was and is considered a prestigious ceremony – but it only nominated White people for almost 20 years.  At this point, a defined culture would be set in place that would be difficult for the society-deemed “Other groups” to break through.  In Borderlands by Gloria Anzaldua, she states that in her experience, “Culture forms our beliefs.  We perceive the version of reality that it communicates. Dominant paradigms, predefined concepts that exist as unquestionable, unchallengeable, are transmitted to us through the culture.”  For an extensive amount of time, the culture forming society’s beliefs on the Oscars was that it was a high honor meant predominantly for Caucasians.  As time as progressed, this ideology has slowly but surely began to change.

            Fast forward to today.  We as a society have made a lot of progress in regards to the Oscars, but we still have quite a ways to go.  There are still dominant trends seen, such as more White people than Black people being nominated, or few Black women being nominated, but the conversation surrounding this lack of diversity has begun to spark change.  This change will hopefully continue to progress in the future.