Since #OscarsSoWhite swept the internet eight years ago, the Academy of Motion Pictures has diversified its nominees, but it still remains overwhelmingly white and male, per BBC.
The hashtag, started by activist and writer April Reign. first took off in 2015, the year when none of the 20 actors nominated for Academy Awards were people of color. Research by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that in the eight years leading up to the #OscarsSoWhite movement, only 8 percent of all nominees were people of color.
In the eight years following the outrage caused by a lack of diversity, the number of Academy nominees of color has grown to 17 percent. Of the 20 entertainers nominated for main acting categories this year, six are people of color.
Black stars like Angela Bassett, Rihanna, Brian Tyree Henry, and Tems have earned nods at the 2023 Oscars. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup & Hairstyling, and Best Original Song.
But for Bassett, who is vying for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Wakanda Forever, recognition from the Academy has been arguably long deserved.
"It's wonderful, it just means the world to me, the little girl who came from Florida, looking for representation in the industry, looking toward others that looked like me, that gave me the idea that you know, that I could have a place in it," Bassett told the BBC.
Many have argued that the Academy is still failing to acknowledge Black talent, citing that The Woman King's Viola Davis and Till's Danielle Deadwyler were snubbed for Oscar nominations this year.
Academy President Janet Yang says the organization has worked to diversify the pool of about 10,000 members who vote on the winners of the coveted award.
"We're doing everything we can to try to level the playing field," Yang said.
While nominees have grown more diverse in the years since #OscarsSoWhite, the inclusion of people of color is still "nowhere near what it needs to be," said Dr. Stacy L. Smith, who led the research efforts by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
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