Black actors and directors shut out of nominations for Best Actor, Actress, Director, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress and no Films Featuring Blacks Nominated in the Best Picture category
Rev. Al Sharpton and National Action Network to Call Hollywood Summit in February
NEW YORK – Reverend Al Sharpton, President and founder of National Action Network, released the following statement on the 2016 Academy Award nominations:
“Hollywood is like the Rocky Mountains, the higher up you get the whiter it gets and this year’s Academy Awards will be yet another Rocky Mountain Oscars. Yet again, deserving Black actors and directors were ignored by the Academy – which reinforces the fact that there are few if any Blacks with real power in Hollywood. Being left out of Awards consideration is about more than just recognition for a job well done; winning an Oscar has long-lasting cultural and economic impacts.
“It is for precisely these reasons that I met last year with Sony Pictures and why I will continue the fight to bring equality to the film industry. Next month, we will convene a Hollywood Summit to bring light to those studios and others in the film industry who aren’t living up to their obligations. We will not sit idly by and allow our community to be disregarded.”
