For years, people of color have struggled to get certain roles because of the color of their skin. One prominent excuse is that Hollywood studios simply can find neither actors nor filmmakers of color to headline blockbusters. We know that there is a lack of neither but rather a lack of opportunity for that talent to be seen. Thanks to #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign, that excuse can no longer exist.
Akuarel, a digital database for people from marginalized groups looking to work in creative industries, is set to go live today. It will be a “centralized directory” for those who identify in an #OscarsSoWhite category (race, sexual orientation, disability, etc.) to find opportunities within the entertainment industry leaving every Hollywood exec searching to find a new excuse.
Ahem. Is this thing on? Because on the first day of Women’s History Month, in the year of our Lord Bast, my dream is coming true. Walk with me. pic.twitter.com/43bdFMPeiL
— April (@ReignOfApril) March 1, 2018
In January 2015, I created #OscarsSoWhite, a clarion call to increase diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry. We have seen some progress, but there’s much more work to be done. I’ve talked about the problem for 3 years. It’s time for a solution. Meet Akuarel™️. pic.twitter.com/OJGnb08Owk
— April (@ReignOfApril) March 1, 2018
#Akuarel provides the solution: a centralized directory in which those who work on both sides of the camera or curtain and those who hold a pen, a computer, or a microphone can self-identify in the same #OscarsSoWhite categories: race, sexual orientation, disability, etc. pic.twitter.com/FJEqMcGfdQ
— April (@ReignOfApril) March 1, 2018
#Akuarel is a gift to both the creators and the consumers of art and media. For those who are committed to issues of equity and inclusion based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability, Akuarel™ is the solution. #OscarsSoWhite
pic.twitter.com/ENy5RRYThU— April (@ReignOfApril) March 1, 2018
“Media diversity is not just a Hollywood problem,” Reign writes. “The negative societal impacts from the economic concentration, stifling of diverse voices, and perpetuation of divisive cultural narratives makes it a national problem that must be addressed.”
Akuarel allows actors, creatives and media professionals of color aspiring to work in film, television, or journalism to join and use the database for free. Users are able to identify themselves by race, sexual orientation and gender in addition to age, location and level of experience.
“This answers one of the issues raised by #OscarsSoWhite of studios saying, ‘We want to work with people from marginalized communities, but we just don’t know where to find them,’” Reign said during an interview with Mic. “This is going to drop them right in their lap.”
This year's Academy Awards air this Sunday, March 4. While there are many more POC actors, directors and film creators included, the Oscars are still, in fact, very white. Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya and Jordan Peele are both nominated for awards, alongside Mary J. Blige and Denzel Washington. However, it's unclear if Oscar voters are even thinking of giving these artists their due as one Oscar voter is noted as saying "Get Out is well done, but let's not get carried away."
Although we have a long way to go, we're most thankful for Akuarel and a step in the right direction.
