At the 48thannual NAACP Image Awards Saturday at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the organization continued its legacy of recognizing outstanding Black actors, while the Academy of Motion Picture Artsand Sciences now makes an effort to catch up.
Last month the Academy announced that Black actors were nominated for 2017 Oscars in the four major categories for the first time in the academy’s history. Denzel Washington (“Fences,” Actor), Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight,” Supporting Actor), Ruth Negga (“Loving,” Actress),Viola Davis (“Fences,” Supporting Actress), Naomie Harris (“Moonlight,” Supporting Actress) and Octavia Spencer (“Hidden Figures,” Actress) were all recognized.
In 2015 and 2016, Academy voters nominated all white actors, which resulted in the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
