The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Takes Major Steps Toward Diversity

You have to give credit where it’s due for decisive action.

The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, best known for the Academy Awards gala, but in fact a very active and positive organization year-round, was rightly roasted for a lack of diversity when the 2014 award nominees were announced. The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite became omnipresent for a while, and the Academy’s membership certainly did seem alarmingly out of touch. Of the Academy’s 6,621 voting members, 92 percent were white, and 75% were male. A correction seemed in order, and, today, was made, as 683 new membership invitations were issued, with the intention to adding more women and minorities. The diverse pool of new invitees will hopefully go a long way toward making the Academy look more like the vibrant, international film community it wishes to represent.

A complete list of the “Class of 2016” can be found here. Congratulations to all the new members of the Academy, and, thank you to the Academy for providing this timely and important leadership.