When comedian Chris Rock took to the Dolby Theatre stage to start the Oscars telecast Sunday night, the track “Fight the Power†by rap group Public Enemy played in the background. That same song, used by Spike Lee to cap his seminal film “Do the Right Thing,†also played at the end of the show as the credits rolled. Both instances were a reminder, comedic or otherwise, to keep pushing for greater diversity prompted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ mostly white list of nominees for a second year in a row. And fighting the power is what the #OscarsSoWhite movement plans to continue doing.
Here are the ways some proponents of increased diversity believe the conversation can continue now that awards season is over.
OSCARS 2016: List of nominees | Red carpet arrivals | #OscarsSoWhite controversy
April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite:
“The lack of nominees from marginalized communities was just a symptom of a much larger problem. The pressure must still be placed on Hollywood studio executives to make more quality films that represent marginalized communities so that they can be nominated. In the coming months, I would hope that we see from the academy and from all of the people in the film industry that they are applying pressure to the Hollywood studios to greenlight films from a broader perspective.â€
“I would encourage everybody to be more mindful of the movies on which they spend their hard earned money. If the cast does not look like them, does not represent their stories, perhaps choose not to see their films and instead seek out stories that tell the diversity and the beauty and nuance of all people.â€
Todd Boyd, professor of cinema and media studies at USC:
“There need to be people in positions of power to greenlight movies, holding the reins of financing movies, across the board, and you actually have to go out and make an effort to make the environment more diverse. It’s not going to happen on its own.â€
“Honestly, I think a lot of people in Hollywood feel like, “Look, I’m not doing anything to block anybody†— and they aren’t necessarily, not overtly anyway. But it’s more than just “I’m not doing anything to block anybody†– what are you doing to make space for people who have been historically excluded?â€
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The cast of Best Picture winner “Spotlight†takes a selfie backstage at the 88th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2/54
Director Tom McCarthy with the Oscar for best picture, “Spotlight.†(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Stacey Dash speaks onstage during the 88th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on Feb. 28, 2016.
(Kevin Winter / Getty Images) 4/54
Michael Keaton and the cast and producers of “Spotlight†celebrate after winning the Oscar for best picture.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 5/54
The production team and cast of Spotlight celebrate the award for best picture.
(Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images) 6/54
Leonardo DiCaprio (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Brie Larson (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, winner of Best Director with Tom Hardy
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 9/54
Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lady Gaga performs (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lady Gaga and abuse survivors (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Daisy Ridley and Dev Patel (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Vice President Joe Biden (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Director Laszlo Nemes (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Rock and Girl Scouts (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Dave Grohl during the In Memoriam segment (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Whoopi Goldberg
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 18/54
Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kate Winslet and Reese Witherspoon (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Rock (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Louis C.K. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Rock (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Mark Rylance (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Mark Rylance thanks Steven Spielberg before accepting his Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 27/54
Patricia Arquette (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Filmmakers Pato Escala Pierart and Gabriel Osorio Vargas (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The Weeknd performs (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The Weeknd performs (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The Weeknd performs (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jonas Rivera and Pete Docter (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Girl Scouts sell cookies with Chris Rock (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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David White, right, and Mark Mangini (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Marcos Taylor as Suge Knight
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 36/54
Rachel McAdams and Michael B. Jordan (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Emmanuel Lubezki (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Priyanka Chopra, left, and Liev Schreiber (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Margaret Sixel (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Evans, right, and Chadwick Boseman (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Benecio del Toro and Jennifer Garner (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Elka Warden, Lesley Vanderwalt and Damian Martin (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenters Margot Robbie and Jared Leto (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Cate Blanchett (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Tina Fey and Steve Carell (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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CaJenny Beavan (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Alicia Vikander (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Adam McKay, front, and Charles Randolph with their Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 50/54
Sam Smith (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sarah Silverman (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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“The Big Short,†the anarchic, bracing broadside against Wall Street malfeasance, won the adapted screenplay Oscar at tonight’s 88th Academy Awards. The script was written by Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, who also directed. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Chris Rock (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Gil Robertson, president of the African American Film Critics Assn.:
“If Hollywood wants to take on a leadership role and show the rest of this country that there’s a different way [of dealing with race], then they need to act like it. That’s going to start by them taking a real honest look at themselves and their practices in the mirror and just asking the question, ‘What can I do to make a difference?’ and really meaning it.â€
“I want to see the putting together of a multicultural group of journalists to continue this conversation. It’s important that we do that because the way the conversation has been had traditionally is in black and white terms. I think it is important that we encourage our Hispanic and Asian and other brothers and sisters to also be vocal, and to give them room to be vocal. We need to work collaboratively to see results.â€
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Brie Larson and Alicia Vikander backstage (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet backstage (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Leonardo DiCaprio backstage (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Leonardo DiCaprio with his Oscar for best actor (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Brie Larson celebrates (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu backstage (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Brie Larson (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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The cast of Best Picture “Spotlight†take a selfie backstage. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Lady Gaga (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Brie Larson (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Sacha Baron Cohen (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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A Secret Service watches Vice President Joe Biden backstage (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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C3PO (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Kevin Hart (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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R2D2 and C3PO (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Kate Winslet (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Mark Rylance (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Cheryl Boone Issacs (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Backstage at the 88th Academy Awards (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Vice President Joe Biden (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Andrew Whitehurst and Mark Ardington (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy accept the award for Original Screenplay for “Spotlight.†(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Paul Norris and Sara Bennett (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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R2D2 and C3PO (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Oscar statuettes (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Charlize Theron (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Sam Smith (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Adam McKay (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Alicia Vikander (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Charlize Theron (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Alicia Vikander (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Emmanuel Lubezki (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Benicio Del Toro and Jennifer Garner (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Liev Schreiber and Priyanka Chopra (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Stephane Dunn, professor of cinema at Morehouse College:
“Unless we are talking about film companies and casting companies being interrogated and being asked to think about their business practices and how those practices reinforce the exclusivity in Hollywood, we’ll still be stuck on #OscarsSoWhite with these intermittent years with a couple nominees of color. The only way to move beyond that is to move behind closed doors where the public doesn’t see the business deals being made. We don’t see how problematic the room makeup is. We don’t see how closed the mind set is. [It needs to be about] diversifying the decision-making rooms.â€
“It is the type of value, the height, that we place on the Oscars that is problematic. We must interrogate our hype and our investment in it culturally.â€
Times reporter Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report.
Get your life! Follow me on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson.
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