This Year's Oscars Was A Big Win For Diversity

In 2016, I remember the uproar caused by the Academy Awards for their (severe) lack of representation in their nominees' list. To further explain, not a single Black actor was nominated for an Oscar. This was the second year in a row this occurred, which caused a justifiable boycott of the Academy Awards by the Black Community in Hollywood and those who support them. After this blow-up, the 2017 Oscars had a much better list of nominees, let alone Black winners such as Mahershala Ali and Viola Davis. Last year was also a relatively good year for diversity at the Oscars as well.

However, this year, the Oscars had a brilliant list of nominees with so many important movies to choose from. I could not be prouder of the people and movies that have won this year. Representation is so incredibly important. Movies affect people's lives in a way that you never really notice until something like the topic of representation comes up. I didn't know how much I needed an iconic Indian-American female power role until I discovered The Mindy Project a year after it ended. The sense of profound relatability that I felt watching a show that didn't have a skinny, white woman* as the lead was so cathartic. With movies like "Black Panther", "Roma" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", there are so many diverse people being shown that can give people a sense that their stories are also important and being told.

*Because of today's social climate, I would like to make it clear that there is nothing wrong about being skinny or white. Powerful women are powerful women. The reason for my comment was to display how that is the usual lead actress that we see in most movies and TV shows, which isn't representative of the entire population.

Here are some of the iconic wins:

This was an amazing night for all Americans. Let's hope that the Academy keeps up the beautiful and diverse work.