The lack of diversity in the upcoming Oscars—or more broadly, that lack of diversity in Hollywood—is but a minor problem in the scheme of things. What may be a hiccup for the folks in the reel world, and this is certainly not to minimize the narrow aperture of possibility for African-American actors, directors, producers, screenwriters and others in the industry, is a terribly pervasive issue.
Despite a group of reactionaries who would have us believe that “diversity is white genocide,” we in the Black community know exactly what it means. It’s a reality we’ve lived with for generations, and we don’t have to wait until there’s an outcry in Hollywood to realize its existence.
We are not proposing an argument on the definition of diversity, because in many respects it’s like the proverbial elephant being described by nine blind men grasping different parts of the animal’s body. To be sure, some view diversity as just another word for affirmative action; others understand it as inclusion and an acceptance of differences.
Diversity is not a legal term, but it has such broad ramifications, particularly when it’s applied to correct systemic racism. Witnessing the turmoil now occurring in Hollywood as the board of governors at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences grapple with ways to correct the longstanding unfairness is an example of the complexity.
For years the corporate world has been beset with this dilemma. In government, it took an executive action by President Roosevelt in 1941 to create the Fair Employment Practices Committee. This act merely banned racial discrimination in any defense industry receiving federal contracts. It had only a modicum of impact on private industry, a problem that continues to plague African-American workers.
Yes, Hollywood, you have problem, but it’s hardly an isolated one. Look around the nation and you see aspects in practically every walk of life. We can still count on one hand the number of Black coaches in professional and college basketball, although the players are predominantly Black. Blacks in the executive level of major corporations are still as scarce as hen’s teeth. And after all these many years of laboring, Blacks are still a tiny minority in the nation’s skilled trades.
A recent study of diversity in nine cities’ educational systems revealed that as a general rule, minority teachers—especially minority male teachers—are underrepresented in these urban workforces, with substantial representation gaps between minority teachers and minority students.
Many of the racial barriers that Hillary Clinton often evokes are increasingly high for Black aspirants. It is still almost miraculous for a Black student to get into the major graduate programs in higher education. More than ever, we need some of us at the portals of these institutions as diversity managers to ensure that we are greeted with a level playing field. It is also troubling to witness the obstacles facing young Black teachers in higher education trying to get on the tenure track.
Our hope is that some remedy emerges from the talks in Hollywood. It would be a hopeful sign that voicing our outrage can bring results. But, realistically, like improving the water system in Flint, the sound stages out west need a structural change, need more African-Americans, more people of color who can greenlight a project. When we can see the numbers increase at the top levels of management in a realm that is whiter than the top of the Rockies, then we know we’re on the right track to broad, sweeping social change in our society.
Unlike some of the protesters, some who are planning to boycott the Oscars, a few of us need to pay close attention to what happens Sunday, because although we have no nominees, we do have Chris Rock. And it’s good chance he will find a way to address the issue and make sure that at least in one way, Black Lives Matter.
When it comes to our disparity in the media, the best answer to the problem of diversity or our invisibility is to own the radio station, television network, movie studio, magazine or newspaper. But that continues to be an even larger challenge for African-Americans.