Oscars So White Controversy Still Isn’t Over, Twitter Reacts To 2017 Nominees

The 2017 Oscar nominees include three black thespians nominated for best supporting actress (Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Naomie Harris), a black performer nominated for best supporting actor (Mahershala Ali), a black leading lady nominated for best actress (Ruth Negga) and a black leading man nominated for best actor (Denzel Washington). So why is Twitter saying the Oscars So White controversy from past Academy Awards isn’t over?

While six black actors are nominated for awards this year, the #OscarsSoWhite campaign isn’t only about black actors. “Let’s remember that #OscarsSoWhite is not just about race, and definitely not just about the black race,” creator of the hashtag and entertainment journalist April Reign told EW. “While we’ve had some forward movement, there is a lot of work that needs to be done.”

It’s that reason why the hashtag continues to trend on Twitter as users call for more diversification in movies including roles for Latinos, Asians, the LGBTQ community and more.

Although the number of black actors with nominations are up this year from last year’s whopping zero, other minorities fare even worse at the Oscars. Only one Hispanic actor has ever won the best actor award — Jose Ferrer in 1950 for “Cyrano de Bergerac” — and a latina actress has never won best actress. Rita Moreno and Lupita Nyong’o, who was born in Mexico, are the only two Latin American-born actresses to win best supporting actress.

Asian actors have also had a difficult time at the awards. Only one actor of asian heritage has ever been nominated for best actress — Merle Oberon in 1935 — and only one Asian actress has won best supporting actress — Miyoshi Umeki in 1957. This year, Dev Patel becomes only the third Indian actor to ever receive an Oscar nomination. Patel is nominated for best supporting actor for his role in “Lion.”

As for women, female filmmakers face a battle similar to any woman in the workforce. Only four women have ever been nominated for best director and only one has ever won the award — Kathryn Bigelow in 2009 for “The Hurt Locker.”

Last year, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, revealed the Academy’s A2020 plan. “By the year 2020 we want diversification of women, people of color, national origin, and sexual preference, disability all across the board to be recognized because of their value to the business of motion pictures,” she told Ebony.