Cheryl Boone Isaacs admits that she's 'heartbroken and frustrated' because of the 88th annual Academy Awards' nomination list which snubs works of people of color.
- Jan 19, 2016
AceShowbiz - Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs has finally issued an official statement addressing the lack of diversity in the 88th annual Academy Awards' nomination list. She admits that she's "heartbroken and frustrated" because of the list which snubs works of people of color.
"I'd like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year's nominees. While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion," Cheryl says, before calling for a change in the Academy, "This is a difficult but important conversation, and it's time for big changes."
"The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership. In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond," Cheryl says of what the Academy is going to do in the near future.
"As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years," she continues. "But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly."
However, diversification in the Academy isn't a new thing. "This isn't unprecedented for the Academy. In the '60s and '70s it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant," she says. "In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together."
The nomination list of the upcoming Oscars has been criticized by a lot of black people from the film industry including Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, "Straight Outta Compton" producer Will Packer and "Chi-Raq" director Spike Lee. Most recently, rapper Snoop Dogg sounded off about the snubs which occured two years in a row. He posted on Instagram a video showing him cursing the awards show.
