Aurora Public Library District (APLD) patrons who are waiting for this year’s delayed Oscars broadcast can whet their appetites with Aurora Public Library District’s upcoming program “Black Oscars: What the Academy Awards Tell Us About African Americans.” Dr. Frederick Gooding, Jr., associate professor of African American studies at Texas Christian University, will explore the representation of African American actors in the nominees and winners of the Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars. The program will be broadcast over Zoom and Facebook Live at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 24.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has awarded the Oscars since 1928. Although the Oscars are considered the film industry’s most prestigious award, they have faced criticism throughout their history for failing to recognize a diverse slate of actors and films. A February analysis by Insider found that black Americans made up only 6.3% of the individuals nominated for an Oscar over the past decade. Black Americans make up 13.4% of America’s population.
Library events and program coordinator, Krista Danis, said, “Pop culture, from movies to music to even the commercials we watch on TV, is so influential over how we think and feel. Diverse representation and inclusion [are] crucially important for equity on so many levels, and most importantly in the highly visible medium of Hollywood.”
AMPAS recently made changes to try to combat the Oscars’ lack of representation, including inviting more film professionals to join AMPAS and instituting diversity requirements for nominated films. Dr. Gooding hopes that his research will empower the average filmgoer “to see consistent patterns when it comes to black characters in film and ultimately judge whether mainstream race relations have truly changed substantively or only superficially over time.”
Dr. Gooding’s book, Black Oscars: From Mammy to Minny, What the Academy Awards Tell Us About African Americans was published in 2020. The Aurora Public Library District has the book available for checkout. Those interested can visit our catalog at aurorapubliclibrary.org or call us at 630-264-4117 to reserve a copy.
Since 2004, the Academy Awards typically have been broadcast in February. This year’s broadcast was postponed to April 25 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominees were announced March 15. It remains to be seen who will be recognized by the Academy in a release year that included films directed by Spike Lee and Regina King, as well as critically-acclaimed performances by black actors Viola Davis, Lakeith Stanfield, and the late Chadwick Boseman.
Individuals can register to attend the program on Zoom by using the Library’s mobile app or visiting www.aurorapubliclibrary.org/events. The Zoom presentation will be streamed on the Library’s Facebook page.