Entertainment
At the 93rd Academy Awards, Blacks and Asian Take Home Top Honors
According to USA Today, nine of the 20 acting nominees were people of color as compared to #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 and 2016 when all of the nominated actors were white.
The 93rd annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Awards kicked off Sunday night at Union Station in Los Angeles with Regina King sashaying in to present the first awards, which were for screenplays.
She first addressed the elephant in the universe: “I know many of you want to reach for your remote when you feel Hollywood is preaching to you but as the mother of a Black son who fears for his safety, no fame or fortune changes that.
People have been “vaxxed,” tested, retested, socially distanced, and we are following all of the rigorous protocols that got us back to work safely. So just like on a movie set, when we are rolling, masks off.”
Daniel Kaluuya won supporting actor for his role as Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah” and in his acceptance speech said to Hampton who was killed in 1969: “[t]hank you for your light . . . . Thank you so much for showing me myself.”
Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson were the first Black women to win an Oscar for make-up and hairstyling for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” The film also won an Oscar for best costume design.
The awards were presented by Don Cheadle and Neal acknowledged her grandfather, a Tuskegee airman.
In her acceptance speech, Neal said “I can picture Black, trans women standing up for [Ma Rainey], and Asian sisters and our Latina sisters and Indigenous women, and I know that one day it won’t be unusual or groundbreaking. It will be normal.”
According to USA Today, nine of the 20 acting nominees were people of color as compared to #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 and 2016 when all of the nominated actors were white.
“Soul” won for a best-animated feature and best original score and advisor Dr. Johnetta Cole was given a shout-out. It was Pixar’s first film to feature a Black character in the lead, voiced by Jamie Foxx.
Tyler Perry and The Perry Foundation have presented the humanitarian award and Perry encouraged all to “stand in the middle and refuse hate.”
Oakland’s own Zendaya presented awards and Vallejo’s own H.E.R. garnered an Oscar for the original song, “Fight For You,” which was in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” H.E.R. is now halfway to an EGOT, having received an Oscar and a Grammy, a Tony award for theater, and an Emmy for television..
The “In Memoriam” tribute introduced by Angela Bassett and underscored by Stevie Wonder’s, “Always,” included Cicely Tyson, Yaphet Kotto, Paula Kelly, Earl Cameron, Brenda Banks, Jonas Gwangwa, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Charles Gregory Ross, Ja’net Dubois, DMX and Chadwick Boseman.
One notable miss from the tribute was Naya Rivera.
A non-award highlight was when Lil Rel Howery and Quest Love, whose movie “Summer of Soul” comes out July 2, got Glenn Close to do “Da Butt”.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Black History
Jackie Wright Champions Bay Area Stories, Filmmakers and Cultural Institutions
As an award-winning communications professional, Wright has worked with corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, artists, and community organizations. In 2026, she expanded that work by launching an introductory public relations class for small businesses and nonprofits, offering practical tools for gaining visibility, shaping messages and building productive relationships with the media.
Jackie Wright has spent more than two decades helping people, organizations and communities understand the power of a well-told story.
As founder and president of Wright Enterprises, a San Francisco-based strategic communications and public affairs firm, Wright has built a career spanning journalism, public relations, media relations, crisis communications, community engagement and multimedia storytelling.
As an award-winning communications professional, Wright has worked with corporations, nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, artists, and community organizations. In 2026, she expanded that work by launching an introductory public relations class for small businesses and nonprofits, offering practical tools for gaining visibility, shaping messages and building productive relationships with the media.
Wright’s commitment to storytelling is also deeply personal. She wrote and co-directed the 15-minute documentary, “Love Separated in Life…Love Reunited in Honor,” which chronicles the story of her parents, Specialist Five (S5 Wyley Wright Jr. and Ouida Fay McClendon Wright. Her father, a U.S. Army helicopter crew chief, died in Vietnam in 1964 while serving as an honor guard during a visit by then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Decades later, Wright and her siblings had their father exhumed from a segregated cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida, and their mother moved from her burial place in Georgia so the couple could be reunited at Arlington National Cemetery in 2014.
The family journey later took Wright and her sister to Vietnam, where they discovered the former military compound that had been named in honor of their father and another fallen soldier. The documentary, centered on love, war, family, racial understanding, and remembrance, earned festival recognition at screenings.
“It was quite an honor to learn about my family’s history and share it on film,” said Wright.
That filmmaking experience complements Wright’s longstanding advocacy for independent cinema. She has served as a media partner and brand ambassador for Bay Area film festivals, including the San Francisco Black Film Festival, Oakland International Film Festival, and the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa.
“It’s important to help filmmakers and underrepresented stories reach broader audiences,” said Wright.
Whether promoting a neighborhood organization, championing an independent filmmaker or preserving her own family history, Wright has remained consistent. Through Wright Enterprises, she has turned communications into both a profession and a form of community service, telling stories that might otherwise go unheard.
“Our stories are an integral part of our history, and our history is not only American history, but worldwide,” she said.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of August 26 – September 1, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 26 – September 1, 2026
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Prostate Cancer is Twice as Likely to Kill Black Men. Talking to Your Doctor Could Help Save Your Life
Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026
Longtime BWOPA Member Brendalyn Goodall Appointed to California Workforce Development Board
Jackie Wright Champions Bay Area Stories, Filmmakers and Cultural Institutions
Chef Sharon Lee Blends Culinary Excellence, Education and Empowerment
‘Passing a Law Isn’t The Finish Line’: California Assembly Evaluates Implementation, Results
OPINION: Angie Nixon Will Turn You Into a Democratic Socialist If Donald Trump Hasn’t Already
Gov. Newsom Signs Law Shielding Immigration Aid Workers From Doxing Threats
BOOK REVIEW: Every Inch of a Lady
Big City Mayors Ask for “Yes” Vote on Housing Bond Measure; Conservatives Say “No”
Madeline M. Turner: The Inventor Who Made Juicing Easier
Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Hilton Blasts California New Tire Rules; Newsom Hits Back
Frontier Airlines’ Return to Oakland Airport Brings Flights, Jobs and Opportunity
Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Urges Californians to Vote Early as Voter ID Battle Intensifies
Gov. Newsom’s Latest Appointees Include Sacramento Advocate for Formerly Incarcerated Students; State’s New Tech Chief
Department of Homeland Security Demands California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber Scrub Voter Rolls
New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial
“The Power to See Threats Sooner”: Gov. Newsom, Safety Officials Showcase California’s Investments in Hi-Tech Wildfire Prevention
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Celebrates New North Atlantic Regional Director
California Sen. Padilla Joins Colleagues to Introduce Bill Imposing Term Limits on Supreme Court Justices
Less Affluent School Districts, Including Sacramento City, Face Threat of State Takeover
Car Wash Workers Cope with Lingering Impacts of ICE Raids
COMMENTARY: You Are Already Paying for the AI Boom
California Bill Would Let Abuse Victims Use Trauma as Legal Defense for Violent Crime
Oakland Post: Week of July 29 – August 4, 2026
OP-ED: ‘The Trusted Messenger’ and the Black Vote
How Oakland’s Courtsmith is Scaling its Business and Local Impact
ESSAY: California Can Close Its Colorectal Cancer Gap
As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate
Oakland Post: Week of August 5 – 11, 2026
The Conversation With Al McFarlane 6/23/26
Media Monday 6/22/26
LIVE! ASK ALMA! — TUES. 6.23.26 7PM EST
Car Buying Secrets: 4 Hidden Checks Before You Sign!
Is This 550 HP Charger Worth YOUR Money? AutoNetwork Review
Celebrating Juneteenth – Frederick Douglass on education and resistance
LIVE! — ASK ALMA! — TUES. 6.19.26 7PM EST
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Parking, Safety, and 360 View #shorts
2025 Ioniq 5 New Wiper & Powerful Performance! #shorts
Electric SUV Range: Is 259 Miles Enough? #shorts
EV Charging: How Fast Can You Charge an Electric Vehicle? #shorts
Biometric Cooling… Messaging Seats…Come on! 2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph 4WD
Charged Up: Witness the Magic of a Fully Electric Car! #shorts
Range Rover Sport PHEV Included…: See What’s Inside This Luxury SUV! #shorts
Invisible Hood View: Perfect Parking with X-Ray Vision! #shorts
-
Community4 weeks agoLess Affluent School Districts, Including Sacramento City, Face Threat of State Takeover
-
Commentary4 weeks agoESSAY: California Can Close Its Colorectal Cancer Gap
-
Business4 weeks agoCalifornia Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Unveils: ‘Powering the Future’ Theme for 47th Annual Statewide Convention
-
Community4 weeks agoFour Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race
-
Business4 weeks agoFrom Blueprint to Breakthrough: Tackling Affordable Housing in Oakland
-
Black History4 weeks agoOakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops
-
Activism4 weeks agoOakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026
-
Commentary4 weeks agoCOMMENTARY: Why Local School Tax Measure G1 Will Not Be on the November Ballot
