To all of those who felt offended or did not understand Lupita Nyong'o's response to the lack of diversity at the Oscars , I implore you to read this.
The 2016 Oscars are coming up and the nominations were announced. To everyone's dismay the nominees were white, there were absolutely no people of color who were nominated. Lupita Nyong'o was one of the many celebrities that spoke out against the exclusivity of talented people of color in the film industry. She responded in an Instagram post that reads:
"I am disappointed by the lack of inclusion in this year's Academy Awards nominations. It has me thinking about unconscious prejudice and what merits prestige in our culture. The Awards should not dictate the terms of art in our modern society, but rather be a diverse reflection of the best of what our art has to offer today. I stand with my peers who are calling for change in expanding the stories that are told and recognition of the people who tell them."
What is in this quote that so hard to understand?
First of all, she is not just talking about Black people. Even if she was, there have only been 32 Oscars given to Black people in the film industry ranging from Best Actor and Actress to Best Original Song/Score within the 87 years the Academy Awards have been airing. Let me repeat that: 32 Oscars in 87 years.
But, she's not just talking about Black people, because a "diverse reflection" of stories doesn't mean just white and black. Diversity is "the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization." Latinos, Asians and those of indigenous descent have had even less recognition. According to The Los Angeles Times it's been 58 years since an Asian actress has won an Oscar, and 54 years since a Latina has won an award. No women of indigenous descent have won an Oscar.
Black people are so much more than musicians, slaves, baseball players, gangsters, incarcerated citizens, etc. Asians are not just martial artists, thugs, samurais, geishas, Gandhi, etc. Hispanics/Latinos are not just immigrants, incarcerated citizens, drug dealers, etc.
We’re all so much more than what the movies tell us, and what they show us are stereotypes. Expand the stories, not just to win Oscars, but to showcase us in ways of everyday life! We fall in love head over heels, we laugh, and we cry, we’re scared, we’re crooked, we’re adventurous, scandalous, intelligent, innovative, inspirational… but the most important thing is, we exist just as others do. Our experiences are unique and similar, but we’re not able to see that. The notion that movies should win Oscars based on the box office is a whole other argument, but when we the people who are the targets of cinema, watch these movies and feel transported to a different time and really feel that these actors are real people, then I feel that "Straight Outta Compton", "Creed", "Concussion", and other “box-office hits” should be included in the nominations because they were so much more than entertaining, they are our stories.
"Straight Outta Compton" shares a story about how hip-hop and rap can tell the story about racism and police brutality while bringing people together. It tells the story about how four men changed the art of music. Everyone knows the "Rocky" movies and most people love them—they're iconic, but "Creed" also gave the same feelings that Rocky did, inspiration, motivation, and it was a heartwarming story about the courage to fight and the importance of family. "Concussion" was a film about the real-life pathologist Dr. Bennett Omalu, who found a disorder that was responsible for the deaths of many NFL players—the most important thing is that it is a true story and this story was executed perfectly.
These are the stories that expand the spectrum for people of color's experiences, these are the kind of stories that Lupita Nyong'o was talking about. These are the movies that open the door of opportunity to not only Black people and what they have experienced and what they experience in everyday life today, but to all people of color (Asians, Hispanics/Latinos, and those of indigenous descent) and their experiences.
