Now that the Oscars are over, can we have a real discussion about the absence of fairness, the racism, stereotypes and bias that consumes the Hollywood movie industry? And to be honest, African Americans have a lot to complain about here in America over the past 400 years for sure, but they really are the last people who should complain about bias and exclusion from Hollywood movies, film and the movie industry.
By Ray Hanania
covering Chicago
City Hall
(1976-1992)
The debate over the Oscars really bothers me.
Although the lack of diversity is a genuine, real problem with the Academy Awards and the awarding of Oscars to the film industry, it’s being debated and discussed in such a selfish and narrow manner.
The issue isn’t just about African Americans who have been slighted, as Will Smith said when he started the debate this time around. (It’s come up in the same selfish manner in the past, many times.)
The bigger issue is about the absence of fairness when it comes to talent. Race is an issue. And Blacks are not the only ones suffering or slighted. So many other ethnic and racial groups are also excluded from the Academy Awards and more importantly from the movie industry as a whole.
There are “minorities” and there are “minority minorities.” That list includes Arabs.
Here’s my post at Tremr.com, a partner blog site where I often explore issues that are shared and explored in more depth here.
Now that the Oscars are over, how about a real substantive debate about the lack of diversity at the Oscars?
I’m not going to let the issue go without trying to force American society, and African Americans, to address the issue correctly. Chris Rock, Spike Lee, are you guys listening? Because you did a big disservice to the issue of civil rights by making it only about Blacks.
Click here to read the column.
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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