4. Diversity Doesn’t Always Equal Structural Change (Ahem…Oscars!)
Source: Dan MacMedan / Getty
It’s easy to say what happened with Gucci is a result of Black people not being in the board room.
But unfortunately, diversity doesn’t always mean structural change.
The Oscars is a prime example of this.
In 2016, #OscarsSoWhite slammed the Oscars for its majority White nominees, forcing the Academy to make plans at doubling their diversity by the year 2020.
According to The New York Times, out of the new invitees to the Academy in 2018, 30 percent were people of color, and at the 91st Academy Awards in February, Black folks represented a lot of the big wins for the night.
However, a major upset came when Green Book won Best Picture — a movie that has been criticized for being a White savior film and disrespectful to the Black musician it was based on.
You’d think with how diverse Hollywood is allegedly becoming, the White savior narratives would die down, or at least not by showered with prestigious awards.
However, Green Book‘s win on Oscar night proves there’s a lot more to be done in Hollywood and creative spaces that don’t just involve diversity.
Questions that are just as important are who has the authority to tell a story? Are their power dynamics at play that decenter a marginalized group? Also, who’s getting paid off of Black narratives?
Questions that need answers.
Whew! 5 Lessons Learned During This Struggle Black History Month was originally published on globalgrind.com
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