The blatant snubs and the overall lack of representation for umpteenth time at the Oscars have moved actors and viewers alike to boycott this year's awards show.
Groups and individuals, including creator of #OscarsSoWhite -- which shined a light on how white and male-dominated the nominees and voting members of The Academy are -- are hosting counter-programming initiatives to highlight the work of actors, actresses and filmmakers of color. Black Voices will also be highlighting the accomplishments of black actors and actresses from previous years at the Oscars on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages during the show.
If you want to support black films on Oscar night, here are just a few impactful options to take part in.
1. Live-tweet "The Wood" with the #OscarsSoWhite creator
For the second year in a row, #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign is encouraging Twitter users to live tweet a movie on Netflix with a predominantly black cast during the Oscars telecast. This year's movie is the 1999 classic "The Wood." She explained to her followers that the choice for this film is because it "has a cast of color [and] is a coming of age tale of friendship among boys who become men, that should resonate w[ith] you." She's asking users to celebrate and discuss the film along with using the hashtag in an effort to get #OscarsSoWhite trending, even if they aren't watching the movie.
2. #JusticeForFlint
Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler, Jesse Williams, Janelle Monáe, Hannibal Buress, among many others are joining forces on Sunday to help residents of Flint, Michigan by raising awareness about the issues they're facing and providing donations. Organized by Blackout for Human Rights, this free event is meant to promote solidarity and support communities affected by the water crisis -- it just so happens to fall on Oscar night. The group will also be collecting donations, all of which will go directly to Flint residents. You can live stream #JusticeForFlint at 5 p.m. EST on Revolt.TV.
3. Black&Sexy TV's Battle of the G.O.A.T.s
The Black&Sexy TV founders, and Black Voices' Black Future Month honorees, plans on changing the focus of black people look for acknowledgement from the Oscars. "[W]e deserve to acknowledge ourselves and celebrate," they said in a statement. So right after Oscars' host Chris Rock finishes his monologue, Black&Sexy TV will host a fun debate on classic black films. The debaters will battle it out in categories like Love Jones Vs Love and Basketball, Greatest of All Time Denzel Performance, Greatest of All Time Hood Classic and more. The debate will be live streamed on YouTube, Facebook and The Root’s Periscope account on Oscar night starting at 9 p.m. EST.
4. All Def Movie Awards hosted by Tony Rock
All Def Digital and Fusion have partnered to create an award show to "celebrate the diversity that makes our culture so rich." Hosted by Chris Rock's brother, Tony Rock, the event will honor the best films of the year. Nominees include movies featuring actors and actresses of color that critics say the Oscars overlooked, including "Straight Outta Compton" and "Creed." The hour-long event air on Fusion's cable network on Sunday, February 28 at 7 p.m. and re-air throughout the night.
5. Black Movie Night: A Short Film
Inspired by #OscarsSoWhite and #BlackLivesMatter, New York-based filmmakers Sterling Milan and Cameron J. Ross decided to make their own short film intersecting these two movements. The film follows two black actors who "find themselves caught between their right to protest the lack of diversity , and their own ambitions." Starting at 8:30 p.m. EST, the movie will be available for streaming for 24 hours.
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