More Than Statuettes, #OscarsSoWhite is About Redefining Power
On the surface, the #OscarsSoWhite campaign and the current boycott of the awards show Sunday night by Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith and Spike Lee are about one thing: recognition.
After all, actors of color want to feel acknowledged for their work, along with directors, screenwriters and everyone else.
But the rancor being felt in Hollywood is about much more than awards. As we explore in this episode of Micropolis, it's also about access, to wealth and power, much of which is concentrated in highly-exclusive (and white) circles.
"The ability to shape the media landscape is an enormous amount of power," said Frances Negrón-Muntaner, Columbia University professor and author of 'The Latino Disconnect: Latinos in the Age of Media Mergers.'
"And groups of people don't tend to give up their power, just like that."
