(GIN)– Women were definitely in the spotlight at Sunday night’s Golden Globes. A powerful speech by Oprah Winfrey that had the crowd up on its feet was bookended by courageous actresses who echoed her call for an end to sexual harassment in the industry.
But it was hard to overlook the absence of people of color in some categories, as writer Ismail Akwei pointedly observed in his column in the online Face2FaceAfrica.
Two actors of African descent missed out on the theatrical prizes they deserved for sterling performances in the movie industry last year, he observed.
“Despite being his first nomination at the prestigious awards, British-Ugandan actor and writer Daniel Kaluuya should have won for his Chris Washington role in the American horror movie “Get Out” which premiered in February 2017,” Akwei opined.
“This could have been a big deal for the young actor who made a mark on the big screen barely ten years ago in movies such as Johnny English Reborn, Kick-Ass 2 and Sicario.”
Akwei also took issue with judges who declined to give American-Senegalese writer, director, producer, and actress, Issa Rae, the prize for best actress in a TV comedy or musical.
“Rae produces, writes, and acts in Insecure, a show starring two millennial Black women as they navigate their way through work, family, friends, and relationships in Los Angeles,” he wrote. “The show has received several awards, including AFI Awards and African-American Film Critics Association awards. Rae has also won Best Actress nods from BET and Black Reel Awards for Television for her performance in the show.”
Judges have nominated several actors of African origin over the years, among them: Lupita Nyong’o, Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Uzo Aduba, Djimon Hounsou, David Oyelowo and Barkhad Abdi.
But, he concluded, “a huge win is what we expect as the Africans are flying high in this competitive industry.”
