Good Essay On Moving Forward With Purpose And Pride

Racism has become a core social issue of even the most modern and advanced societies. The media, being one of the most prominent pillars of society does not remain unaffected by racial discrimination. The movies and dramas produced and directed today have sidelined minorities very often. Even though, there have been talks on the media being more inclusive in its approach to helping change mindsets there is slow progress in this area. Media giants are people from within our society, and it is their biases that are reflected in the entertainment and media industry as well.
The Oscars have been subject to controversy ever since its inception in 1929. The Academy has been charged guilty for not being inclusive of individuals of a colored race, minorities, and women. Ever since 1929, only 15 Afro-Americans have won an award at the Oscars. The major reason for not being able to bag awards is because these Afro-Americans are hardly ever nominated for “Best Actor” or “Best Director”.
In 1996, a protest against the Academy led by Rev. Jesse Jackson with the purpose of greater representation of Afro-Americans was carried out. Consequently, in 2002 Denzel Washington received the Best Actor trophy for his performance in Training Day and this was a ray of hope for the Afro-American actor community. A colored woman winning an Oscar trophy is still a rare sight, and only Halle Berry has won this award for Monster’s Ball. However, trends are changing, and there is acceptance from the Academy members including President; Cheryl Boone that there is a need to expedite the inclusion process. Boone, in a letter that was seen on Twitter, has accepted that there is an obvious lack of representation of racial minorities in the Academy, and the need to reconsider the recruitment is now more vital than ever has been. If this step is taken, it will also improve the credibility of the Academy and Oscar trophies in general.
There are also claims that were Afro-American actors are nominated for an Oscar, those roles could not have been done by a White actor. As the films are made on true stories that by default had an Afro-American individual as the central hero it makes little sense to have a White person for on-screen acting. This is a cause for concern and the inclusive approach being adopted by the Oscars is nullified on this basis.
As the media has a strong influence on how the world is viewed, it is essential for them to portray positive images of groups that are significantly sidelined in society. The issue regarding racial minority also has the same solution of being depicted in a more positive light. Many movies have supporting actors that are Afro-Americans and are also more commonly shown in the role of a villain or juvenile. The media often reinforces images held in society and the issue of stereotyping becomes inbred in the society. Afro-Americans need to be shown in more positive roles for the societal mindset to be changed about this issue.
There is a long way to go before the entertainment industry becomes all inclusive of racial minorities specifically. Unless and until the younger generations are not made aware of this social issue there is little hope for the future generations to be able to look beyond these differences. Given it's prominent and influential position in society, the media has to take bold steps to overcome this social stigma and free society of racial injustice in various walks of life.