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The Oscars nominations always generate buzz, both good and bad. We celebrate the few Black people who are recognized and advocate for those who were noticeably snubbed. After all, the Academy Awards has a history of playing in our faces regarding honoring the Black community’s most extraordinary talents.
This year, Angela Bassett received an honorary Oscar after the actress was snubbed twice. Bassett received the Best Actress nomination in 1993 for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It, and she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Recognizing their fallibility, the Academy honored Bassett at the Governor’s Ball with her very own golden statue.
Oscar nominations always stir up controversy.
And while the internet is currently up in arms regarding Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s Oscar snub for her role in Barbie, I can’t help but wonder what happened to Teyana Taylor’s Oscar nom for A Thousand and One and Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson’s role in The Color Purple.
Barbie is a classic femme-positive film that sparked a much-needed conversation on what it feels like to be a woman in today’s world. The powerful message was delivered in an overtly pink package easily digestible to the masses. Did it deserve an Oscar nomination? Absolutely. Was there room for Taylor, Barrino, and Henson to be nominated? You’re damn right there was.
Taylor starred in A Thousand and One, a 2023 drama that follows a single mother who kidnaps her son from foster care so she can raise him herself. The film has garnered lots of praise and earned both the director, A.V. Rockwell, and Taylor lots of nominations as well as awards.
Danielle Brooks received an Oscar nomination, but the stellar performances of her colleagues Barrino and Henson deserved recognition as well. Sometimes, it feels like the Academy Awards operates under affirmative action. There’s an allotted amount of Black nominations they can have, and each year, they reach their peak, allowing them to leave lots of talented actors and actresses on the table.
The NAACP Awards and Urban1 Honors may not get an actor closer to EGOT status, but they will champion them and remind them that they’re part of a supportive community that appreciates their talents.
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