Racism: discrimination based on racial or ethnic origins. While no one doubts that racism’s presence in the society of America’s past, people today have their own interpretations of what racism is and isn’t. In our current society, racism is more implicit than explicit. Some people believe that racism only counts when directed towards minorities and others say the opposite. Regardless of its definition and the various beliefs people hold about it, racism is present and unfortunately easy to overlook.
The Oscars have been around for decades, celebrating the art of acting, directing, screenwriting, and filmmaking. The 2016 Academy Awards took place on February 28, 2016. People tuned in from all over the world to watch history be made—and not just because Leonardo DiCaprio finally secured his first Oscar. Since Oscar nominations were announced, critics have had no difficulty citing specific African Americans who deserved recognition, including Idris Elba for his wonderful performance in Beasts of The Nation and Ryan Coogler for his vision in the new Rocky movie Creed. Michael B. Jordan was another frequently mentioned name for his stunning performance as Adonis Creed in the same movie.
Out of all the nominees, no African Americans were actually selected. Many films with African-American themes, such as Straight Outta Compton and Dope, similarly received the snub. (However, Straight Outta Compton did secure one nomination for one of the white screenplay writers.)
African-American actors no doubt feel acute discrimination due to these results. Some, including Will Smith, his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, and famous African-American director Spike Lee, boycotted the awards ceremony in protest. African-American Chris Rock, however, decided to hold onto his role as Oscars host. As #OscarsSoWhite overtook social media in the weeks leading up to the event, the public anxiously anticipated Rock’s response to the widespread accusations of racism.
Needless to say, Rock totally killed his monologue. His dissection of the #OscarsSoWhite argument with entertaining visuals spearheaded his speech. His racism-themed jokes drew almost relieved laughs from the audience; he helped to dissipate much of the racially-charged tension that was stiffening the event. What really topped it off for most people was when he referenced Stacey Dash, someone who isn’t very knowledgeable of her race, as the head of the minority outreach program.
Overall, the 88th Academy Awards was bittersweet for the general population. There was so much controversy going into the Oscars, but Chris Rock and his risky humor made it somewhat enjoyable. We got to see Leonardo Dicaprio win an Oscar—now let’s hope we see some diversity at next year’s Academy Awards.