That two prominent Black actors were among the most striking snubs has been seen by some as a reflection of racial bias in the film industry. The day after the Oscar nominations, “Till” director Chinonye Chukwu posted on Instagram: “We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women.”
Asked for her reaction to that comment on an episode of the “Kermode & Mayo’s Take” podcast posted on Friday, Deadwyler strongly agreed with Chukwu.
“We’re talking about people who perhaps chose not to see the film — we’re talking about misogynoir — like it comes in all kinds of ways, whether it’s direct or indirect,” said Deadwyler. “It impacts who we are. I think the question is more on people who are living in whiteness, white people’s assessment of the spaces they are privileged by.”
Misogynoir, a term coined by the Black feminist author and activist Moya Bailey, refers to misogyny and prejudice directed at Black women.
“I think the question is more on people who are living in whiteness, white people’s assessment of the spaces they are privileged by,” added Deadwyler. “We’ve seen it exist in a governmental capacity — it can exist on a societal capacity, be it global or national.”
That Deadwyler and Davis were edged out of an Oscar nomination is part of what fueled the initial backlash to the star-studded grassroots campaign for actress Andrea Riseborough. After a string of celebrity-hosted screenings (a regular feature of Hollywood’s awards season), Riseborough unexpectedly landed a nomination for her performance in the indie drama “To Leslie,” alongside Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”), Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) and Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”).
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
