Race Politics in Hollywood

An accomplished academic, Dr. Jeremy Levitt has also been an administrator at such institutions as Florida A&M University College of Law. An author on a wide variety of topics pertaining to national and international affairs, Dr. Jeremy Levitt has expertise in race politics and how they affect our culture.

Race politics play a large part in the inner workings of any institution, and can change the experience of those within it. This has been made clear by the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, which brought to light the racial imbalance among the nominees for the 2016 Academy Awards. Researchers have found, however, the Oscars are only a small example of race politics in Hollywood.

A study by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication suggests a dearth of inclusiveness in hiring in Hollywood. A survey of major media outlets including Netflix, Hulu, and CBS found that 71 percent of characters shown had popularly known “White” names, with the remaining 28 percent of characters being people of color with ethnic names. This evidence supports the claim that there are race politics in Hollywood, as this number is not representative of the percentage of minorities in the US population.

The Return of the Black Oscars

Dr. Jeremy Levitt, professor of International Law at the Center for International Law and Justice at Florida A&M University’s College of Law, has written and edited six books, including Black Women and International Law. In addition, Dr. Jeremy Levitt is CEO of the Levitt Group, LLC, and an expert in race politics.

The presence of race politics was at the epicenter of the recent controversy that surrounded this year’s Oscars ceremony, which regarded a lack of African-American nominees. In response to that lack, there may be a return next year of the Tree of Life Awards ceremony, which was originally conceived as a way to recognize African-American actors for their contributions in film.

Better known as the Black Oscars, the event was first held in 2002 in a Hollywood hotel the night before the Academy Awards. Awards were given in the same categories as were given by the Motion Picture Academy, including Best Actor. The tradition ended in 2007, possibly because of the increase in African-American nominations at the Academy Awards ceremony that same year. Now, after a spate of non-African-American nominations for the 2016 Oscars, the African-American film community is discussing the benefits of bringing the Black Oscars back.

Learn about Anna Arnold Hedgeman During Black History Month

Distinguished Professor of International Law at Florida A&M University, Dr. Jeremy Levitt is an expert on race and gender rights. A commentator on numerous media outlets, Dr. Jeremy Levitt finds it important to raise awareness of historical figures who do not always get the recognition they deserve, like Anna Arnold Hedgeman.

Understanding Anna Arnold Hedgeman’s contribution to history and racial justice will provide a different perspective from the typical stories told during Black History Month. Anna Arnold Hedgeman influenced politics and civil service in the 1920s through 1970s, decades rife with inequality. In the 1930s, she quit her job to help African-Americans in their struggle to secure civil service positions. In the 1940s, she further strategized for the Democratic Party to support President Harry Truman’s 1948 campaign. Anna Arnold Hedgeman was often a consultant and spokesperson for the African-American community on issues of politics, which was uncommon for a female at the time.