Oscars: Danielle Deadwyler claims Hollywood is ‘deeply affected by racism’

Awards observers were shocked that Danielle Deadwyler wasn’t nominated for a Best Actress Oscar

US actress Danielle Deadwyler has claimed the film industry is “deeply affected by systemic racism” after no black woman was nominated for best actress at this year’s Oscars.

Deadwyler should be recognized for her performance on the drama Till.

But she missed out on a nomination, as did Viola Davis, who was also widely believed to be in the running.

Deadwyler said there is a “trickle down effect” of racism in society on many institutions in American life.

In Till, the actress plays the mother of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after he was accused of referencing a white woman.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Deadwyler said: “Movie history is over 100 years old. I dare say that the system is deeply, deeply influenced by the systemic racism that has shaped our country.

“And if we’re still dealing with systemic racism in this country, leading us to the loss of a Tire Nichols, carrying us away from the loss of Emmett, there’s a trickle-down effect on how racism affects our lives – from from the education system to the film industry to everything, every part of everyday American life.”

Deadwyler (right) plays Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, played by Jalyn Hall, in the film

Deadwyler was widely acclaimed for her performance in “Till” and was considered one of the favorites for the Lead Actress nomination at this year’s Academy Awards.

After being snubbed when announcing the nominations in January, Till, writer-director Chinonye Chukwu, accused Hollywood of “blatant misogyny toward black women.”

Referring to those comments, Deadwyler told Radio 4: “Yes, what has value [Chukwu] said, and it’s imperative that every quality of our lives begin to really deeply question and change and break and radically change the way they actually want to be a just institution.

When asked if the Oscars or wider society needed to change, Deadwyler replied, “It’s from both sides … It’s got to come from every angle.”

Since the #OscarsSoWhite outcry in 2015, the academy has increased black and ethnic minority voters.

“Critical Questions”

Deadwyler noted that very few black women have been honored at the Oscars, and that “numerous decades have elapsed” between those who have.

She referenced Hattie McDaniel’s supporting actress win in 1940 and Halle Berry’s lead lady win in 2002, which remains the only win in this category for a black woman.

“You have to start wondering why there are these gaps,” Deadwyler said. “Before I even considered for anything, these are the things I witnessed.

“So these are critical questions about how to begin bringing justice to spaces that have long been led or heavily influenced by white supremacy, ideologies, thought and practice?”

Halle Berry, pictured with Denzel Washington in 2002, is the only black woman to win Best Actress at the Oscars

This year’s Best Actress nominees are Michelle Yeoh, Cate Blanchett, Ana De Armas, Michelle Williams and Andrea Riseborough.

British actress Riseborough received a shock nomination after a campaign pushed by a string of Hollywood A-listers.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences conducted a review of the campaign and said some tactics “cause concern,” but her nomination was not revoked.

Williams was recognized despite a debate in Hollywood over whether she should have been nominated in the Supporting Actress category.

There are no black men nominated for Best Actor this year. Two black performers – Angela Bassett and Brian Tyree Henry – are in the running for the supporting categories. Winners will be announced on March 12th.

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