After thoroughly reading the chapter “Representation and Racial Hierarchy,” three important points stood out to me: most members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are senior white men; Black directors rarely are nominated for an Academy Award; and the recent nominations of Black directors does not make up for the decades of nonrecognition.

The Black community celebrated the Oscar win for “Twelve Years A Slave,” but realizes this is only one small step forward. There needs to be better inclusivity within the film industry, and it would be suitable for award members to include diverse voices. 

The article's first sentence says, “mostly white-haired white men over the age of sixty and a few select others… convene for the Academy Awards ceremony” (Erigha, 2019). This quote shows us how little representation there is for persons of color within the Academy, and how exclusive the Academy is. Another quote, “its (Academy Awards) grandeur usually passes with little fanfare for Black directors, for whom few nominations and even fewer wins are rather the norm” (Erigha, 2019). This quote demonstrates a separation in viewpoints toward Black-directed films versus white-directed films. Perhaps the members of the Academy allow race to continue to be a factor in selecting nominees and winners. A third quote is “To some people, the dismantling of a racial barrier for Black directors signified a departure from a history of nonrecognition” (Erigha, 2019). This further exemplifies how people of color feel upset that their cinematic work is rarely acknowledged by the Academy and is viewed as not good enough to win an award. 

References

Erigha, M. (2019). The hollywood jim crow : The racial politics of the movie industry. New York 

University Press.