Should anyone expect anything other than exclusion from anyone 88, old, white, and called Oscar?
“Say what we will, there is something in human nature which we cannot blot out, which makes one man, in the end, recognize and reward merit in another, regardless of colour or race.”
–Booker T. Washington, “Up From Slavery” (1901)
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A Great Man’s Credo
“I had rather be what I am, a Negro, than be able to claim membership with the most favored of any other race. I have always been made sad when I have heard members of any race claiming rights and privileges, or certain badges of distinction, on the ground simply that they were members of this or that race, regardless of their own individual worth or attainments . . .
“Every persecuted individual and race should get consolation out of the great human law, which is universal and eternal, that merit, no matter under what skin found, is in the long run recognized and rewarded. I say this here not to call attention to myself as an individual, but to the race to which I am proud to belong.”
An excerpt from Booker T. Washington‘s autobiography chronicling his rise from slavery to become the founder of Tuskegee Institute, a prestigious black college.
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Members of a community, whether creative, athletic, educational, scientific, medical, etc., wish to be acknowledged by their peers for their contributions.
But, at what cost? If you have to beg for respect, is it worth it?
The Oscars has an 88-year history of what? Celebrating excellence in white film? Heavy-handed racism? It seems ridiculous that no pool of rich Black (or other) people has thought to be to The Oscars what Soul Train was to American Bandstand. There is no need to exclude white people from “The New Oscars.” “The New Oscars” only needs to be done better than “Old Racist Oscar,” with the spirit of inclusion, modern ideals, class, and sprayed with a little funk to kill the boredom.
If people with money cannot be the change they want to see, what hope is there for the rest of us who are too tired (from working jobs we hate) to give a fu@k?!!
If people with money cannot be the change they want to see, they can do one of two things. They can choose to take a seat at “Old Oscar’s” knee and continue to hopelessly hope and pray futile prayers that one of his children calls their name. Or, alternatively, just sit there and be pissed that none of his children bothered to remember their name or their work at all.
Either way, if you’re not going to do anything but complain year after year, practice good theatre etiquette and lower your voices because the show is starting. And as the saying goes, until you do something different, the show will always go on . . . as usual . . . with or (preferably) without you.
Besides, the one monkey that don’t stop no show will very likely be the one monkey that don’t start no show either.
You can’t expect Old Oscar, or anyone, to freely hand over to you what was only ever intended to be handed to his own.
Can you?
