History Made: Idris Elba and John Boyega Make List of 41% People of Colour Invited to Join the Academy Award Class

Jada Pinkett-Smith and Spike Lee’s bold move of boycotting the Oscar Awards has yielded fruits!

Recall that after the list of nominees of the biggest movie award was published in January, Pinkett-Smith kicked off yet another #OscarSoWhite conversation by asking why no actor or movie by people of colour made the prestigious list.

Not long after, the Academy Award President Cheryl Boone Isaacs released a statement saying that the Oscars membership(the voting members), which reportedly is made of more than 90% old white men, will be getting a total overhaul.

Credit: CNN

Well, the huge step was taken yesterday as the Academy has sent out invitations to actors and directors to join the voting members board.

According to LA Times:

“In the latest and most dramatic step by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to diversify the overwhelmingly white and male institution, 683 industry professionals were invited Wednesday to join the nearly 90-year-old organization. 

The group of invitees, which included Idris Elba, Brie Larson, John Boyega, America Ferrera, Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman, was touted as the academy’s largest and most diverse new class ever, more than double the 322 members invited last year.”

Hollywood Reporter adds this:

“The new invitees are heavily weighted to favor women (46 percent) and people of color (41 percent). If all elect to join, it will begin to shift the demographic makeup of the Academy, which has been criticized in the past for being too old, too male and too white. According to the Academy, its membership was 75 percent male before this year’s new members were recruited, and could move to 73 percent male once they join. Similarly, the Academy was 92 percent white before the latest list and could become 89 percent white in its wake. 

The class of 2016 includes 28 Oscar winners and 98 nominees, who collectively represent 109 nominations. Of the new invitees, 283 are considered international members, representing 59 countries. 

The basic requirement is that a candidate must have “demonstrated exceptional achievement in the field of theatrical motion pictures,” although each branch then has its own requirements. Actors, for example, must have a minimum of three theatrical features, while directors must have a minimum of two directorial credits.”

LA Times adds that “if all of the 2016 invitees accept their invitations, the total membership of the academy will reach 7,789.”

Well, we can’t wait to see how this plays out!

OJPals, what do you think? Let us know!

@OJ’s Blog EXCLUSIVE