This year’s Oscars was shocking. Long before the Oscars aired on February 28th, America knew it was going to be a night to remember.

For weeks, Hollywood’s finest, such as Will Smith, spoke out about the lack of diversity among the actors and actresses nominated for Oscars this year. He, along with many others, boycotted the awards and did not show up. Other notable moments range from Lady Gaga’s emotional performance, to Leonardo DiCaprio (finally) winning the Oscar he’s deserved for years.

I would agree that it is a disgrace to have no black actors nominated, but boycotting the show is ineffective (and slightly arrogant—to think that your presence or lack thereof is more important than anyone else’s is arrogant). During the red carpet show, Kerry Washington made a very important point: “If you look at the history of movements, the history of change, a lot of voices are needed at the table. I want to be part of the conversation to make sure…that we never have a year like this again.” Speaking out for diversity and standing together to show the world that this is not OK is how things will change.

Chris Rock started out the show almost immediately discussing the topic of racism. Although I do believe that by the end he had overdone it, I respect him for using his voice. During Cheryl Boone’s speech, she hinted that the Academy should not be blamed for the lack of diversity: you simply cannot nominate actors for roles they did not have. The true problem, is the lack of diversity in movies—here she called out the directors and screenwriters. This is on them.

Perhaps the most emotional point in the show was when Lady Gaga took the stage to perform her Oscar nominated song, “Til It Happens to You,” with 50 survivors of sexual violence sharing the stage with her. Lady Gaga has continued to surprise me throughout all her years in the spotlight, but this moment was incredible. She, and Vice President Joe Biden, used their voices to speak out against sexual violence and the suppression of victims’ voices. In an interview later, Gaga explained that she, too, is a survivor and she came close to not being able to perform. During rehearsals she broke down shaking and crying. The truly beautiful thing is that the survivors embraced her and told her that she wasn’t alone and that she could do this. She attributed her strength to play that night to the 50 survivors accompanying her. After her performance, Rachel McAdams jumped up for a standing ovation, and Oscar winner Brie Larson took the opportunity to hug each and every survivor as they left the stage.

The night ended on a good note, with Leonardo DiCaprio winning the Oscar for best male actor—a win that has been a long time coming. After losing in 2014 after his show stopping performance in "The Wolf of Wall Street," I thought the Academy would never get around to recognizing his superb acting skills, but they finally did. Leo took this moment not only to thank the Academy for finally giving him this chance, but also to bring light to the topic of global warming. He ended his acceptance speech with “Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take this night for granted.” What a great guy.

All in all, the Oscars were a night to remember with events that will be talked about for quite some time. From social issues to a long awaited win for Leo, the show was full of heartwarming moments.