Diversity On The Big Screen Is An Ongoing Battle

As we reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy today, it's apparent, unfortunately, that many of the battles he fought still have yet to be won.

One of Dr. King's greatest victories is memorialized in the Oscar-nominated movie "Selma." One of the best historical dramas of all time, the movie chronicles the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., that eventually led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

While it's certainly an achievement that "Selma" was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Picture, many of the film's fine performances were overlooked. It's unbelievable that David Oyelowo didn't receive a Best Actor nod for his spot-on portrayal of Dr. King.

But perhaps the biggest oversight is the lack of a nomination for "Selma" director Ava DuVernay, who could have made history as the first African-American woman nominated for Best Director. The nearly all-white list of nominees for Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor has only happened one other time in the past two decades.

And in an ironic twist, this year's Oscars were announced on Jan. 15 - Dr. King's birthday.  

The lack of diversity in the nominees has drawn wide criticism. For an insightful analysis of how the Hollywood awards machine operates and how the "Selma" "snub" happened, I highly recommend New York Times columnist David Carr's commentary. 

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who got his start working alongside Dr. King as a teenager, has called for an emergency meeting to address the issue.

"While it is good that 'Selma' was nominated for Best Picture, it is ironic that they nominated a picture about the racial shutout around voting while there is a racial shutout in the Oscar nominations," Sharpton said in a statement. "With all of the talent in 'Selma' and other black movies this year, it is hard to believe that we have less diversity in the nominations today than in recent history."

As "Selma" powerfully conveys, progress often isn't linear. It took three attempts, many sacrifices on the part of thousands of people of different races, brutal beatings and even several race-related murders for the voting rights march to succeed and achieve its ultimate goal.

Rather than be discouraged by the virtual shutout at this year's Oscars, those of us who are storytellers need to keep telling stories that celebrate diversity. And those of us who enjoy good stories need to support them by exercising our right to vote at the box office. 

We need to keep marching on.