“I’m rooting for everybody black”
– Issa Rae
So I watched the Oscars, probably for the first time ever, and got to see history being made this year. I won’t dive in to the fact that the Academy Awards have been going on for over eight decades and African Americans are STILL first time nominee and award winners in certain categories (#OscarsSoWhite). But I just wanna take the time to highlight these phenomenal black winners.
- Mahershala Ali is the first black actor to win two Oscars for best supporting actor. The first was won in 2017 for Moonlight. This years award was for Green Book.
- Ruth Carter is the first African American to win for costume design (for Black Panther ) after being nominated twice for Malcolm X (1993) and Amistad (1998). It’s been looooong overdue, but I’m glad she finally got it. #Wakandaforever
- Hanna Beachler is the first African American to be nominated and first African American winner for production design (for Black Panther) #Wakandaforever
- Peter Ramsey is the first African American to be nominated and first African American winner for best animated feature as co director for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I really enjoyed seeing a teenage Afro-Latino super hero on the the big screen with a dope soundtrack. It seemed kinda long, but definitely worth seeing.
- Regina King winning her first Oscar for best supporting actress in If Beale Street Could Talk. I wanted to see it, but I’m one of those people that tries to read the book first. (I’m reading like 3 different books right now lol). And even though I read it in high school for summer reading, (Out of the list of like 50 books, every year I subconsciously chose the 3 or 4 books written by Black Authors), I want to read it again now that I have a different world view.
- Spike Lee and Kevin Willmott wining best adapted screenplay for BlacKkKlansman. This is Spike Lee’s first Oscar after being nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for
Do the Right Thing (1990), nominated for Best Documentary, Features for 4 Little Girls(1998) and receiving an Honorary Academy Award (2016). (My favorite moment was seeing the pure joy Samuel Jackson displayed for his Morehouse brother and longtime friend.) - Cicely Tyson receiving an Honorary Award after being nominated in 1973 for Sounder.
Shout out to these, and so many other, men and woman paving the way for future actors/actresses, directors, writers, producers, production and costume designers, etc…of color. #blackexcellence
Dear Future, 