Prof Syed talk about the Oscars and how, for the second year in a row, all of the 20 acting nominations for the Academy Awards are for white actors.
Interviewed by Nicole Reid of Music Radio Huddersfield on 16 Feb 2016.
It is no secret that the Oscars have received a lot of complaints accusing them of being unfair, as all nominees are white actors. Will Smith and director Ley are among the many celebrities boycotting this event this year. I spoke with Professor Jawad Syed, director of the Global Center for Equality and Human Rights, who has also written an article on this particular subject about his view on the diversity row.
When we investigate these accusations—and these accusations are pretty serious—they have to be evaluated on merit. There is a lot of sensitivity involved; there are grievances, misgivings, and possibly issues of perception or misperception. While it may not be claimed that those making these decisions are intentionally biased, the outcomes seem lopsided. In my own article on this topic, I examined the whole episode from an institutional racism perspective to investigate if there is any systematic or unintentional bias involved in the process or the outcome. This is something I believe AMRA people—the directors, actors, and artists—should reflect on. Do we see an ethnic or racial hierarchy? Is there only one dominant ethnicity or race? If such dominance exists, it will be reflected in the Oscars. The Academy recently announced changes to the membership rules, limiting voting status to 10 years, renewable thereafter, in response to diversity accusations. Whether this makes a difference is something I’d be keen to assess in terms of outcomes. Promises are welcome, and this may be a step in the right direction, but it appears more reactive than proactive. Given the protests and articles written, and concerns expressed by both Black and white artists, the Academy’s response seems reactive. Still, it can be welcomed, but outcomes must be observed. A current concern is the racial composition of the Academy of Motion Pictures. A report based on a Los Angeles Times survey two or three years ago indicated that 92%–94% of Academy members are white, 77% are male, and only 3% are Black. Whether this composition has changed in recent years is yet to be seen. If it does, perhaps nominations and awards will become more inclusive instead of racially hierarchical. CHR Rock is hosting for the second year—perhaps as a way of salvaging their reputation. I welcome this and acknowledge that the Academy president is African-American, but such steps may have token value. For example, having an African-American president in the White House has not significantly changed the realities for the African-American community in the U.S., such as unemployment disadvantage, high incarceration rates, or poverty. Similarly, I am not convinced that an African-American host or president of the Academy is enough. Regarding celebrities boycotting and protesting, everyone has their own agency, position, and perspective. Personally, I appreciate everyone who has taken a stance, whether by boycotting or participating and speaking out. Without such protests, perhaps the Academy would not have responded. They are now being forced to act because of statements made by artists like Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and others, including white directors. Everyone has their own way to respond, and if collectively those responses make an impact—why not? You can find a link to Professor Syed’s article on the Radio website.
South Asian Academy of Management 