In 1929, the first Academy Awards took place. As might be expected for that period of time, all the nominees were white. They were all white in 1930. And 1931. For the next decade, they were all white. And the next two decades. In fact, for 63 years, that’s two generations, there were no nominations of a black film director for the Academy Award.
Then came John Singleton, director of the movie Boyz n the Hood. And in 1992, he was nominated for an Academy Award. His nomination, when he was only 24 years old, started a cultural shift. Not only was he the first black director nominated for the award, but he was also the youngest of any color.
So next time you watch an amazing movie directed by someone of color, remember John Singleton, and remember that we can continue to learn from the past and grow, putting away our bigotry-inducing ignorance, and making this world a better place to live for us all.
