Issa Rae’s quick comment after five men were announced as Oscar nominees for best director was spur of the moment, but for many captured the lack of diversity among this year’s nominees.
Black talent being shut out of the Golden Globes is not just a travesty but also a testament to the power of the work and the narratives being told that challenge the status quo. Why folks assume that awards shows invested in the same media industries that continue to perpetuate and recycle the vilest stereotypes of black identity and behavior would somehow acknowledge the stories, performances and behind-the-scenes work that challenges dominant ways of thinking about Black people on and off-screen is befuddling.
Look back on the most noteworthy films of 2019 and they all display a diverse array of superb talent—in front of and behind the camera.
For movies opening September 28, 2018.
Tonya Renee Banks is one of the woman featured in LifeTime’s reality series “Little Women: LA” (Wednesdays at 9/8c) which follows a close-knit group of friends with big hearts and even larger personalities, who have a physical trait in common: They are little people.