Nine years after #OscarsSoWhite, a look at what's changed
Publisher |
The Conversation
Media Type |
audio
Publication Date |
Mar 14, 2024
Episode Duration |
00:30:52

On Sunday, nine years after #OscarsSoWhite, millions of us tuned in to the 96th annual Academy Awards — some to simply take in the spectacle. And some to see how much had changed.

The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite started after many people noticed that, for a second year in a row, all nominees for four of five major categories were white. The movement called on Hollywood to do better: to better reflect America’s demographic realities and also to expand its  depiction of our histories.

The reason: representation in Hollywood matters. What gets put on screens and by whom has reverberating impacts on how all of us see each other and see ourselves.

So .... how did the Oscars do this year? And how is the entertainment industry in general faring when it comes to diversity and inclusion?

It's a mixed bag. Despite some recent wins, a report from Telefilm Canada revealed that Black women have the least representation in TV and film. They also lead the fewest projects and receive the least funding overall.

In today's episode, Vinita breaks down the progress made and the challenges still present especially for women of colour. She is joined by Naila Keleta-Mae, the Canada Research Chair in Race, Gender and Performance and associate professor of communication arts at the University of Waterloo and Mariah Inger, an actor and director and chair of ACTRA National’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee.

It’s been nine years since #OscarsSoWhite called out a lack of diversity at the Oscars. Has anything changed? Prof. Naila Keleta-Mae and actress Mariah Inger unpack the progress in the entertainment industry.

On Sunday, nine years after #OscarsSoWhite, millions of us tuned in to the 96th annual Academy Awards — some to simply take in the spectacle. And some to see how much had changed.

The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite started after many people noticed that, for a second year in a row, all nominees for four of five major categories were white. The movement called on Hollywood to do better: to better reflect America’s demographic realities and also to expand its  depiction of our histories.

The reason: representation in Hollywood matters. What gets put on screens and by whom has reverberating impacts on how all of us see each other and see ourselves.

So .... how did the Oscars do this year? And how is the entertainment industry in general faring when it comes to diversity and inclusion?

It's a mixed bag. Despite some recent wins, a report from Telefilm Canada revealed that Black women have the least representation in TV and film. They also lead the fewest projects and receive the least funding overall.

In today's episode, Vinita breaks down the progress made and the challenges still present especially for women of colour. She is joined by Naila Keleta-Mae, the Canada Research Chair in Race, Gender and Performance and associate professor of communication arts at the University of Waterloo and Mariah Inger, an actor and director and chair of ACTRA National’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee.

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