David Oyelowo: Actor calls out Academy for lack of diversity in nominations

 “For 20 opportunities to celebrate actors of color, actresses of color, to be missed last year is one thing; for that to happen again this year is unforgivable."

The 2016 Academy Awards nominations were announced on Thursday, January 14, 2015, featuring all white actors in the four acting categories.

The obvious lack of diversity and absence of a black actor nominee, led to the hastag #OscarsSoWhite.

 

Joining a growing list of actors speaking up against the snubs, "Selma" actor, David Oyelowo, says the Academy doesn't reflect him or the nation.

“The Academy has a problem. It’s a problem that needs to be solved. A year ago, I did a film called Selma, and after the Academy Awards, Cheryl (Boone Isaacs, Academy President) invited me to her office to talk about what went wrong then. We had a deep and meaningful conversation,” Oyelowo said.

ALSO READ: CHRIS ROCK CALLS OSCARS THE 'WHITE BET AWARDS'

 “For 20 opportunities to celebrate actors of color, actresses of color, to be missed last year is one thing; for that to happen again this year is unforgivable. This institution doesn’t reflect its president and it doesn’t reflect this room. I am an Academy member and it doesn’t reflect me, and it doesn’t reflect this nation

“The Academy is an institution in which they all say radical and timely change cannot happen quickly. It better happen quickly. The law of this country can change in a matter of months. The Oscars is on February 28″. President Cheryl Boone Isaac’s vowed to tackle the crisis, but in this debate over representation actions speak louder than words, and time is running out.

In 2014, the actor was overlooked for playing Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma" when the Oscar nominations were announced.

Academy President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, reacted to the lack in diversity in the 2016 Oscars Nominations, saying;"Of course I am disappointed, but [it is] not to take away the greatness (of the films nominated). This has been a great year in film, it really has across the board. You are never going to know what is going to appear on the sheet of paper until you see it. We have got to speed it up.”

ALSO READ: 5 BLACK ACTORS WHO SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN OSCARS NOMINATION