The revolutionary African American activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” Now, the year is 2016. Discrimination against African Americans has been outlawed, and some consider the world equal. A lot of progress has been made throughout history, including the abolishment of slavery, desegregation of schools, and Civil Rights acts; but this is not enough. Racism is still alive and well in many aspects of human life. The movie industry is one such place where this racial prejudice is undeniable. The hard work of minority actors, actresses, and directors is discredited, not awarded, and they are overshadowed by a white-dominated movie industry. This issue is not …show more content…
From the Ku Klux Klan, to racially segregated schools, to the film industry, African Americans have always faced racism and prejudice. In early American film, black people were hardly treated as actors. Their roles were small, simple, and very insignificant. It wasn’t until the 1960s when African Americans began to have major roles in film and television. In these early years, African American actors were treated unjustly and hardly ever had the honor of being awarded for their work. Instead of being awarded, or even treated fairly, “African American characters, in keeping with the dominant stereotypes, were portrayed as incompetent, child-like, hyper-sexualized, and criminal” (Thompson). Although slavery had been abolished, and segregation outlawed, these citizens were still being treated like garbage. Their hard work and hours of labor were thought of as less significant than that of fellow actors; actors who simply had a lighter skin color. During this time period, this treatment was acceptable. The word “dominant” used to describe stereotypes shows how commonly used these were. Most people were fine with African Americans being treated as lower class, because in certain minds, they were. The issue is that this discrimination in film still exists today. The same basis of segregation thrives in the movie industry. Throughout American history, in culture as well as film, …show more content…
The historical nominations of the Academy and the exclusively white pattern of Oscar winners demonstrate how this is an urgent issue that must be addressed. African Americans are not treated as equals, and are not credited for their work as often as their white counterparts. All people deserve respect and to be looked at not as “black” or “white” but as a person. And each person should be given equal opportunity, and rewarded equally for their success. This opportunity doesn’t exist in the film industry. This issue stretches far beyond the big screen. This discrimination and inequality are part of the movie industry, as well as the world today, and that is unacceptable. All people should be treated equally. This issue stretches far beyond the big screen. This discrimination and inequality are part of the movie industry, as well as the world today, and that is unacceptable. All people should be treated equally. A person is a person: regardless of race, religion, or any other factor. This is not reflected in the movie industry, and change must be made, for the good of the