Historic Wins Offer Glimpse of More Diverse Hollywood

For the last few years, Hollywood has been taken to task for its lack of diversity.  Perhaps the most stinging critique came via the popular Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.  But if the 69^th Annual Emmy Awards were any indication, the barometer is starting to slide in the right direction.

The ceremony, which took place September 17, was a night filled with historic wins.  Lena Waithe became the first black woman to win for comedy writing—a moment that was doubly impactful as she thanked her girlfriend and praised the LGBTQ community.  Donald Glover became the first black man to win for comedy directing, and he was the first black man to win for comedy acting since 1985.  Riz Ahmed was the first man of South Asian descent to ever win an acting award at the Emmys.  And Sterling K. Brown was the first black man to take home drama acting honors since 1998.

It was a night of incredible firsts that celebrated original and diverse voices—a movement that Hollywood has been slow to embrace.  However, the moment the euphoria wore off, some of Hollywood’s most prominent figures pointed out how far Hollywood still needs to go.  The most notable critic?  Producer and showrunner Shonda Rhimes.

“It’s embarrassing, frankly,” she told Vanity Fair in a candid interview the day after the telecast.  “To me, it feels embarrassing that we are still in a place in which we have to note these moments. I’m hoping that it’s not a trend.  I’m hoping that people don’t feel satisfied because they saw a lot of people win, and then think that we’re done.”

At first glance, her stance might seem jarring.  This year’s Emmys weren’t an instance of tokenism in which one or two creators of color took home awards.  History was made in several categories throughout the night, and for once, the people onstage started to reflect the audience watching from home.

But in retrospect, Rhimes is right.  It’s awe-inspiring to think that it has taken 69 years for the Academy to recognize the writing, acting, and directing talents of women, people of color, and LGBTQ creators.  It’s progress, in a sense.  But the fact that these firsts are still happening now, and that they still need to happen in the coming years, is concerning.

What we witnessed during this ceremony was indeed diversity.  The stories coming out of Hollywood are no longer homogenous.  But we’ve yet to experience the inclusion.  We need to see creators of color win these awards every year.  We need to see them showcased, recognized, and celebrated throughout the industry.  The awards are symbolic.  The true change will be reflected in the industry’s attitudes, behaviors, and results as it moves forward.

Will we see more original shows from people of color, from women, and from LGBTQ people next year, and every year after that?  Will their voices be cherished and respected?  Time will tell – for now I am hoping that Hollywood will set its sights on true inclusion now and not just a one-time slate of diverse winners.