It’s been a depressing week for people of colour in the film industry. First there was last week’s Golden Globes, where only two awards went to performers of African-American origin. Then came the Oscar nominations, which for a second consecutive year announced an all-white lineup in the best actor categories. For actors of colour in 2016, the closest they’ll get to Oscar glory will be watching the awards get passed out to their white counterparts from the shit seats at the Dolby Theatre on February 28.
Now influential director Spike Lee — who won an honorary Academy Award last year for his contributions to film-making — has spoken out. Appropriately for the Malcolm X director, whose films examine race relations through the lens of American cultural history, Lee has joined the #OscarsSoWhite debate.
In an Instagram post, Lee announced that he would not be attending the Oscars next month. Explaining why, he said “how is it possible that for the second consecutive year all 20 contenders under the actor category are white? And let’s not even get into the other branches. 40 white actors in two years and no flava at all.”
Lee felt compelled to take a stance given that today is Martin Luther King Jr Day in the USA. He writes “Dr King said "there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but he must take it because conscience tells him it's right".
Lee isn’t alone in acting with his conscience to boycott the awards over the fact that the Oscar nominees are “lily white”. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith has also called for a boycott, saying in a series of Twitter posts that “people can only treat us in the way in which allow”, whilst publishing a Facebook video explaining her rationale in more depth.
Meanwhile, a producer on Straight Outta Compton — a notable omission from the acting categories despite strong reviews for its ensemble cast — has published an open letter criticising the Academy. In a Facebook post, James Packer name-checked actors he felt had been unfairly overlooked by the Academy, including Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan and John Boyega.
The hope is that these protests will achieve greater visibility and awards recognition for actors of colour within the industry. Until that day comes, it’s likely there will be more than a few empty seats in the auditorium come February 28.
