In the world of film, and media in general, it can be hard to be seen — there are so many talented people and stories to be told. One group of people is often the last to receive representation and accolades in the entertainment industry, and that is Black women.
The Oscars have been around for 98 years, and in that time, only one Black woman has won a Best Actress Award. Ten have won for supporting actress, one for costumes, two for makeup and hairstyling, two for original song and one for production design. That’s all. With 24 award categories, it begs the question, why do Black women in film go so unnoticed?
According to UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report, two and a half out of 10 leads in film are people of color, and even less are Black women. Two out of 10 directors are people of color, and only one and a half out of 10 directors are women. With a lack of representation behind and in front of the camera, the task of having your story heard seems insurmountable…