Cheryl Boone-Isaacs, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, issued a long statement Monday afternoon about the lack of diversity among this year’s Oscar nominees. It’s the second consecutive year that no African-American actors were nominated for their performances.
Boone-Isaacs, who is African-American herself, was clearly disappointed with the message this year’s crop of nominees sent to the general public.
“I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s nominees,” she began her statement. “While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes. The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership.”
She noted that the Academy has “implemented changes” in an effort to make the Academy more diversified, including inviting a diverse new group of members last year. However, she said that they clearly “need to do more, and better and more quickly.”
The Academy has made attempts to specifically change its demographics before. “In the ‘60s and ‘70s it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant,” Boone-Isaacs noted. “In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together.”
The statement came just hours after Spike Lee, who received one of this season’s honorary Oscars, said that he won’t attend the ceremony. Jada Pinkett Smith and Don Cheadle also took shots at the Oscars for the second consecutive year of #OscarsSoWhite. Even host Chris Rock joked that the Oscars are the “white BET Awards.”
The Oscars are on Feb. 28.