Arts and Culture

Golden Globe Awards Blackout — Travesty or Testament?

Published

4 years ago

January 16, 2020

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor

Many cultural critics and pundits were in an uproar over the shutout of Black talent at the 2020 Golden Globe Awards held Jan. 5, 2020.

The Golden Globes are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press, which is a non-profit organization composed of journalists, photographers and media professionals who report on the entertainment industry.

Last year, actress/director Regina King took home a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for “If Beale Street Could Talk” and Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for “Seven Seconds” (Netflix).

Mahershala Ali won for Best Performance by an actor in a Motion Picture for “Green Book” in 2019.

These were the awards despite the tremendous amount of Black talent on and off-screen in 2019 in major motion pictures like “Black Panther,” “BlacKKKlansman” and a litany of amazing performances in front of and behind the small screen on network and cable television.

Black folks fared even worse at the 2020 Golden Globes, not taking home one statue, even with compelling television and film like “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (A24), “Black and Blue” (Screen Gems), “Queen & Slim,”(BRON Studios) “Raising Dion” (Netflix), “American Gods” (Starz) , “Southside” (Comedy Central), “Pose” (F/X), “Dear White People” (Netflix), “Claws” (TNT), “Snowfall” (F/X) and “When They See Us” (Netflix), not to mention outstanding web series like “Giants” and “Pillow Talk.”

Suffice it to say the Golden Globes still aren’t feeling Black talent, so why are audiences so invested in this show and others?

Black talent being shut out of the Golden Globes is not just a travesty but also a testament to the power of the work and the narratives being told that challenge the status quo. Why folks assume that awards shows invested in the same media industries that continue to perpetuate and recycle the vilest stereotypes of Black identity and behavior would somehow acknowledge the stories, performances and behind-the-scenes work that challenges dominant ways of thinking about Black people on and off-screen is befuddling.

Black folks aren’t the only historically marginalized group snubbed by the Golden Globes. No women directors were nominated for any directing awards this year.

Only five women have ever been nominated for directing in the 77-year history of the Golden Globes. Most recently was Ava DuVernay (Selma) in 2015; Barbra Streisand (“Yentl” and “The Prince of Tides”), Jane Campion (“The Piano”), Sofia Coppola (“Lost in Translation”) and Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty”). How is it possible for Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”) and Ava DuVernay (“When They See Us”) to not be nominated this year?

It is entirely possible in an industry that has yet to catch up to a century of overlooking and further marginalizing members of historically disenfranchised groups. There is a reason Black showrunners and filmmakers like Shonda Rhimes and Kenya Barris are moving to Netflix. They want to tell compelling stories and have power over final edits that don’t dilute the power of their prose by elevating the feelings and needs of white viewers over all others.

According to the University of Southern California’s “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair Study,” only 4.9% of top films were directed by women in Hollywood from 2007-2019. Twenty percent of Netflix’s 53 U.S. films was directed by women in 2019. Of the 4.9% of women directors in Hollywood, less than 1% were directed by women of color.

Netflix has also aggressively diversified its staff to reflect the changing demographics of society, while Hollywood slowly makes hiring changes through pipeline programs with abysmal full-time job conversions.

“The Farewell” actress Awkwafina made Golden Globes history by becoming the first performer of Asian descent to win a Golden Globe award in a lead actress in a musical or comedy, which is a triumph in some ways, but could also be considered a travesty with the amount of influential and amazing work that has come from people of Asian descent on-screen and off-screen in the United States and abroad.

Historically, the Golden Globes and similar award shows have not been good at identifying, acknowledging or rewarding black talent, much like the entertainment industries themselves.

Change is slow but sure, but there is no need to be a glutton for punishment. Tune into the NAACP Image Awards, the African American Film Critics Association Awards and the BET Awards if you want to see a greater representation and acknowledgement of black talent in the entertainment industry that is actually celebrated and rewarded.

This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., entertainment and culture editor for NNPA/Black Press USA. Nsenga is also founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news blog The Burton Wire, which covers news of the African Diaspora. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor

Posts by By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor

Up Next

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Hosts Education Fair to Improve Black Maternal, Infant Health Outcomes

Don't Miss

Heaven Meets Earth in David Bruce Graves Work Showing at the Joyce Gordon Gallery

By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor

Click to comment

Arts and Culture

Richmond Preps for Full Weekend of Cinco de Mayo Festivities

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival. The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

Published

16 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Scene from the 2023 Cinco de Mayo parade from Richmond to San Pablo. Photo courtesy The Richmond Standard.

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival.

The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

The parade’s Grand Marshall this year will be community organizer Diego Garcia, owner of Leftside Printing.

The festivities continue Sunday with the Cinco de Mayo Festival along 23rd Street, which last year drew over 100,000 people, according to the 23rd Street Merchants Association. This year’s festival will again run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the intersections of Rheem Avenue and Clinton Avenue. It will feature two entertainment stages, one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM at 23rd and Rheem, and another sponsored by Radio Lazer FM at 23rd and Clinton.

Both events are important for the city and the region’s Latino community.

San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway, who co-chairs the parade alongside John Marquez, president of the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, says Saturday’s festivities are about bringing the Richmond and San Pablo communities together in unity.

“This truly connects the spectators and people in the parade as one,” Calloway said. “The parade showcases the real communities of Richmond and San Pablo – our nonprofits, schools, horse riders, classic cars and trucks, our local businesses. All of these people represent the heartbeat of our community.”

Rigo Mendoza, vice president of the 23rd Street Merchants Association, said that at its heart, Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the date the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

But John Marquez started up the popular festival to bring the community together and also to exhibit the community’s businesses and culture to visitors, Mendoza said. The gathering was also a way to promote peace in the community.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Art

Mario Van Peebles’ ‘Outlaw Posse’ Screened at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre

Published

18 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Film director Mario Van Peebles, who also stars in “Outlaw Posse,” appeared at a press conference held at RBA Creative on MacArthur Boulevard hosted by the Oakland International Film Festival. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago. Filmmaker Van Peebles shared his passion for independent artistry and producing projects with his son, Mandela, who also starred in the film, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer. Next week, The Post will publish an in-depth interview featuring Peebles’ reflections on his work, future projects, and continuing his father’s legacy and Rhodes on her grandfather, a real-life cowboy.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”