In light of February having been Black History Month, it’s more important than ever to commemorate the experiences, contributions, and struggles of the Black community as they take time to celebrate their own resilience and excellence. It’s increasingly crucial that we take the time to reflect on and appreciate Black creators and their accomplishments. 

During February, UB’s Dr. Donte McFadden gave a wonderful and eye-opening presentation on the history of Black filmmakers and their work, during which he highlighted the progression of film’s role in America and its relation to the Black community.  He called attention to the harm that the stereotypes depicted in Hollywood have wrought upon the national image of the Black community and cited films such as the 1915 picture The Birth of a Nation, which reinforced damaging stereotypes for decades, yet still receives national acclaim.  However, he also discussed the success of Black filmmakers, such as Spike Lee, who for decades have artfully depicted the controversial and ever-changing race relations in America.  

As important as it is to analyze the films of the past, it’s arguably just as important to celebrate the contributions of today’s Black filmmakers, and it just so happens that 2022 was a groundbreaking year for such.  During the past year, nationally celebrated films such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Woman King, and Nope were released.  These films were led by Black directors and consisted of a majority-Black cast or leads and received remarkable reviews upon release. However, despite these critically acclaimed films and performances, neither The Woman King nor Jordan Peele’s Nope received an Oscar nomination, and as a result, the discussion on racism within the Oscars was reignited.  However, this spans far beyond these two anecdotal examples, and the racism that has existed since the inception of the Oscars has led distinguished actors and directors, such as Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee, to boycott the awards.  In fact, years previous to this, following an entirely White set of acting nominations in the 2016 Oscars, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite began and has remained relevant throughout the past decade, rising again in popularity with this year’s awards.  

While these awards may seem trivial to a certain extent, they represent not only a formal recognition of the hard work and dedication that creatives have put into their careers, but they also can also act as a turning point in an actor or director’s career.  These awards are often the key to exposing up-and-coming creators and performers, meaning that they are a definite way to get more unique perspectives and the work of minorities into the mainstream media

While Hollywood contiues to battle accusations of being rife with racism and corruption, the music industry is often accused of the same. Award ceremonies, specifically the Grammys, have been long denounced for their lack of diversity and questionable voting methods, and extremely popular artists of color, such as Nicki Minaj and The Weeknd, have publicly spoken out against these practices.  After recognizing the flaws within the entertainment industry and the biases that continue to affect artists of color, it’s also crucial to celebrate their accomplishments, especially in the face of such obstacles.  Similar to the film world, 2022 was a spectacular year for black musicians, with artists like Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Lizzo, Samara Joy, and more winning Grammys this past month.

Ultimately, it’s important to celebrate the accomplishments of Black creators and the unique and valuable perspectives they have to offer, while acknowledging the specific obstacles that they may face. And while Black History Month has come to an official end, it’s crucial to take time year-round to inspect racial inequity in the American entertainment industry and elsewhere and to recognize how much progress there still is to be made.