Arguably no Oscar snub shocked experts and movie fans more than the absence of “Selma” actor David Oyelowo and director Ava DuVernay among Thursday’s Academy Award nominations.
“Selma,” which portray Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 activist campaign to win voting rights for African-Americans in the deep south, scored rave reviews but has also been subject to controversy due to what some consider its factual inaccuracies. Still, it was viewed as favorite to score more nominations than the two it received, for Best Picture and Best Song. For film fans of color the disappointing showing of “Selma” was particularly disappointing because it was the best contender to add diversity to the major Oscar categories.
Instead, the Oscars featured the first all-white slate of acting nominees since 2011. The overwhelming lack of representation for people of color inspired the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, which quickly dominated social media on Thursday.
Alicia Maule
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