Cultural Contexts #2

February marks Black History Month. But in 2010, February also marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of black cinema. Woodson founded Negro History Week in 1926. And in 2010, black cinema made history once again with the nomination of Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire for Best Picture. It was the first time in the history of the Academy Awards that a film directed by a black director was nominated for the top award. Early black filmmakers aimed to show the full humanity of African Americans with story lines and themes that countered prevailing ideologies about blackness. Many of the films are hard to find and have “poor” production values because they were literally making something out of nothing. Early black cinema is an important part of American culture because it visually brought our stories to life. Without the black independent film movement, there would be very few black films today.

In 2015, the awards drew criticism for having no black nominees.

The row is back with #OscarsSoWhite trending several days after the categories were announced. The debate stepped up on Martin Luther King Day while many were marking the life of the civil rights activist, Jada Pinkett Smith and director Spike Lee say they wouldn't attend the 2015 Oscars - because of the lack of diversity.