Columnist Anna Ayers argues the lack of people of color nominated for Oscars this year is part of a bigger problem.
This year’s Oscars are more than a month away, yet they are already causing more “drama” than if the cameras were flashing on the red carpet this very moment. The drama, though, is well-played and deserving of the spotlight. When no film focusing primarily on minority characters is among the eight best picture nominees for 2015, and all 20 of the acting nominees are white, it is evident that the plot has taken an unfortunate twist.
This trend of minority, especially African-American, exclusion is not new, nor has it only found its way into “showbiz.” It stretches across the world of our brightest minds and most savvy leaders, and it has even reared its ugly head in far corners of our campus.
In the last 15 years, only one African-American has won any of the Nobel Prizes, which arguably holds the most diverse list of recipients out of any prestigious award. However, in that same span of time, a Nobel winner was more likely to be from the state of Wisconsin, population 5.7 million, than African-American, of whom there are 44.3 million in the U.S.
Unfortunately, the exclusion of minorities does not stop at theatrical talent and Nobel brilliance. The list of Fortune 500 company CEOs is tainted in the same manner. According to the list posted by Forbes in 2015, 24 of these CEOs are women, nine are Hispanic and only five are African American. But, it doesn’t stop at race. As of 2014, exactly one Fortune 500 CEO since the list was first published in 1955 has publically identified as gay.
Though it may be difficult for many to accept the cries of ‘#OscarsSoWhite’ as anything more than a bunch of wealthy movie stars feeling snubbed, it is impossible to deny the pattern of discrimination they are highlighting. And it seems that the student population at Ohio University portrays the same misrepresenting picture of society as the Oscars, the Nobel Prizes and the Fortune 500 CEO list.
The majority of OU students are permanent residents of the state of Ohio in their lives outside of Athens. So, logically the student population at OU should reflect the state most of us call home. It does not. 11.5 percent of the population of Ohio is African-American, when just 5 percent of the students enrolled at OU’s Athens campus are African-American. Now of course, it’s impossible to claim that the admissions process is discriminatory or if this is simply not a community that attracts young black people, but the problem is there none the less.
The simple and rather utopic solution to this exclusionary trend is for everyone to accept their ways as flawed and move on with a more inclusive spirit. The most effective way to change, however, because it does not count on good nature, is to force change. That is the solution the governing body of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences found most appropriate when they voted unanimously to make their process and award giving more diverse.
Perhaps, the person who finds the most compelling answer for change will be awarded a Nobel Prize or even run a Fortune 500 company one day. Hope will always be all-inclusive.
Anna Ayers is a freshman studying journalism and finance. What did you think about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy? Email her at aa183414@ohio.edu.
