Not too long ago we were publicly discussing the (possible radical) suggestions of activitists like Jada Pinkett Smith to boycott the Oscars. With the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag traveling all across social media, the harsh realities of so many people of color in the entertainment industry were finally brought to light. The scarcity of diversity seemed bleak and questionable, opening up a huge controversy that led up to the night of the Oscars (including the night of with some very…interesting skit interpretations by Chris Rock and fellow members).
It seemed last night’s Tony Awards was a banishment to any idea of lack of diversification, especially when it comes to Broadway. Perhaps it even border-lined liberal defiance at the very idea of discrimination, focusing simply on talent and merit when making its decisions for the night and who would go home with an award. While there is still a long way to go in promoting fairness in casting measures and opportunities for people of all skin tones, last night was possibly an indication that Broadway, if not Hollywood, is moving in the right direction.
Thanks in large part to the show “Hamilton” (which sweeped the board with 11 wins and was nominated for 16 Tonys), all four musical acting awards (lead actor, lead actress, featured actor and featured actress) went to black actors, making it a first in the ceremony’s history.
Perhaps what made the night most special was that not only the winners, but many of the nominees across the board represented diverse backgrounds and encourage now, more than ever, children of all ages, skin tones, creeds and races to pursue the arts if that’s their heart’s ambition. There were 14 individual nominees who were actors of color, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lupita Nyong’o and Sophie Okonedo. “Eclipsed,” the play written and produced by Danai Gurira, starring Lupita and exclusively played by black women, was nominated for best play. And the list goes on and on.
Creating roles, opportunities and setting role models is only one step in a long process of promoting diversity where there is none. In a time where it is vital to see representation and expanding definitions on who can be what, perhaps we can all take a lesson from the Tony Awards and administer it into our respective lives.
As a musician and performer myself, I am ecstatic to see where the Tony Awards is possibly heading and what doors this may open! What do you guys think of the award nominees and diversity?