No diversity at the Oscars?

By Lisa Respers France

(CNN) -- After the Academy Awards ceremony in 2010, there was a great deal of hope that the glass ceiling had finally been shattered in Hollywood.

"The Kathryn Bigelow" effect was coined by some industry observers who believed that her win for "The Hurt Locker," the first Oscar for a woman director, would open doors of opportunity for females behind the camera. The riveting film "Precious" yielded a best supporting actress win for African-American performer Mo'Nique, and the first ever statuette for an African-American screenwriter in the best adapted screenplay category went to Geoffrey Fletcher. But that was last year.

This year there was a decided dearth of diversity in the Oscar nominations. There are no women or people of color among the director nominees, and the acting nominees are all white. Javier Bardem, who is up for best actor for his role in "Biutiful,' is a Spaniard and therefore European.

Which begs the question: Why in an era of ever increasing diversity among movie audiences is that not being reflected among the nominees for Hollywood's most prestigious award? Where are the diverse faces both in front of and behind the cameras?

It's a complex issue that involves both supply and demand.

More focus has been put on actors of color and women this year because of their stellar performances last year. African-Americans snagged nine nominations last year and, in addition to Mo'Nique and Fletcher, Roger Ross Williams won the award for best documentary (short subject) for "Music by Prudence."

But historically far fewer meaty dramatic roles, which are beloved by the academy, have been written for or awarded to actors of color, and women behind the camera are greatly outnumbered by men.

"The stories that we would really like to tell usually don't get greenlit," said Rocky Seker, a former creative developer for a director with Sony Pictures and now a film curator who runs Invisible Woman ... Black Cinema at Large. "We're just not taken seriously. It's all a moneymaking issue."

Both groups also find it difficult to break into the big-budget Hollywood films that garner the attention to carry the momentum needed for nominations. Seker said she often comes across wonderfully made black independent films that just aren't able to get big-studio backing or distribution deals.

While Debra Granik and Lisa Cholodenko have both received critical acclaim for their turns as directors of "Winter's Bone" and "The Kids Are All Right," respectively, their films did not enjoy the same media attention as "Black Swan" or "The Social Network," whose male directors were nominated. (Granik and Cholodenko both were nominated for their screenwriting efforts.)

Cathy Schulman is a producer of the Oscar-winning film "Crash" and president of Women In Film, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing sexual equality in filmmaking. She said that when there are 10 nominations for best film, but only five director nominees, invariably it means someone will be slighted.

"On the one hand, I am very encouraged to see that there are women sprinkled throughout most of the categories, with the continued strength as we've seen before in art direction, in music and in other areas that we have consistently seen a strength in," Schulman said. "What does disappoint is the lack of women in the writer, director, producer roles and some of the other key departments like cinematography and editorial, though there is one woman, Pamela Martin, who has been nominated for editorial (for "The Fighter") and that is certainly well-deserved."

Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, said, "There are lots of reasons at both the individual level as well as the industry level that converge to suppress diversity both on the screen and behind the scenes."

Lauzen added, "The film industry does not exist in a vacuum; it is part of a larger culture, and our attitudes about gender and race are extremely deeply held. Those attitudes don't change overnight or with an Oscar win."

Lauzen is set to release a study next week that will show the numbers on women have not changed significantly from her most recent survey, "The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women in the Top 250 Films of 2009."

In 2010, woman accounted for 16% of all directors, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors, Lauzen said. Women accounted for 7% of directors, she said.

Schulman, the Women In Film president, said Tuesday's nominations -- or lack there of -- merely strengthened her resolve that there is much work to be done.

"Where I see this lack, it really solidifies my belief that we need to focus on getting women in at the ground level in these disciplines and getting them embraced and trained so that they can hone their skills to be included in this grouping and to stop this unfortunate lack in these top jobs on movies," she said.

For African-Americans, it's a matter of timing and a more systemic issue, said Gregg Kilday, film editor for The Hollywood Reporter.

"As we look at the movies this year, there really weren't movies in contention from African-American filmmakers," said Kilday, whose publication wrote a piece in September called "Whitest Oscars in 10 Years?" "It's not the academy's fault. It speaks to a larger issue in the industry in that it is still difficult for black filmmakers to do movies about black film matter."

Kilday said that while Tyler Perry's film "For Colored Girls" boasted an all-female, African-American cast, it opened to mixed reviews and never gained much traction as an Oscar contender. Likewise, while actress Halle Berry has been critically acclaimed for her portrayal as a stripper with multiple personality disorder in "Frankie & Alice," Kilday said that movie enjoyed a one-week limited release just to make it eligible for this year's awards season and there was little promotion behind it.

Kilday said the movies favored by the academy also factor in the lack of diversity.

"When you talk about academy movies, they have to be a specific type," he said. "A kind of mainstream commercial movie like a commercial comedy is never going to show up on the academy list. While I think the industry is pretty open on casting, it's not that open on making serious movies in general, and serious African-American movies are probably even harder to get financed."

Phil Yu, who runs the blog "Angry Asian Man," said he "follows the Oscars like sports fans follow the Super Bowl."

Yu said that because there are really no proven, bankable Asian actors he has little expectation of roles that might attract the academy going to Asian actors. He said this year he was also not surprised by the decided overall lack of diversity because there was no early buzz about any actors of color as potential nominees.

"Movies are a business," Yu said. "Consequently studios are as risk-adverse as it gets, and they want to go with something tried and true."

Ava DuVernay is founder of the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement -- a collective of black film festivals -- and the writer-director of the independent film "I Will Follow." DuVernay said the nominations ironically come at a time when she has jokingly been calling the Sundance Film Festival "Blackdance" because of its abundance of minority films this year.

"The Academy Awards represents what is being distributed and exhibited year-round," she said. "It's challenging when people expect to have this onslaught of diverse nominations when it hasn't been a diverse year."

DuVernay said films such as "Precious" and directors such as Bigelow are anomalies and that the nominations over the past few years have not been incredibly diverse. The atmosphere in the industry has not changed just because there are a few breakthroughs here and there, she said.

"Ultimately, if we have people that are serious about diversifying films, whether it be black films, women's films, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) films or Latino films, they have to be building those structures year-round," DuVernay said. "Then that becomes a conversation where there were these amazing black films, Latino films, LGBT films and films made and directed by women that were ignored."

Jeff Friday agrees.

He is the chief executive officer of Film Life and founder of theAmerican Black Film Festival, which celebrates its 15 anniversary this year as a showcase for black film. While not an academy member, Friday said that if he were picking nominees his list would be similar to those announced Tuesday because there were so few films with people of color in principal roles or behind the scenes of movies that would be considered.

"We have to challenge the studio system," Friday said. "Why are studios not making films that represent the people of this country?"

First Lady Visits Howard University

By Michael Tomlin-Crutchfield--Black College Wire

"America has no better ambassadors to offer than our young people." President Barack Obama said these words two years ago to address a group of people at a town hall meeting in Shanghai, China.

The first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, took that message home to the hearts of young people from around the world at Howard University on Jan. 19, 2011. 

"Its not just about the relationships we form with our fellow leaders," said the first lady. " Its about the relationships we form with people, specifically our young people."  The first lady addressed a packed Cramton auditorium to announce President Obama' s 100,000 Strong Initiative to increase the number and diversity of American students studying abroad, specifically in China. This announcement comes a day after the arrival of President Hu Jintao of China in Washington, D.C. for his nation' s state visit.

Anne Stock, the assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, spoke on the importance of the message and the event. "An arrival ceremony had just been held] for the China state visit in the White House and then Michelle Obama wanted to send that message to a wider audience," said Stock. " We are a very interconnected society and wewant to stress the importance of being global to our young people."

Stock said there are all kinds of resources and scholarships that can be found through The Department of State, colleges and the private sector that may be used to pursue these opportunities. "And we do not want our young people to be afraid to apply," she said.

The event featured a panel of college and high school students from around the country, including Howard University senior communications major Nicole Baden. Baden has had experiences studying in China and said it was life changing.

"You learn how challenging and interesting the Chinese language can be to learn, but you also gain a sense of the similarities that you have with people abroad," Baden said.  She spoke on how even though the Chinese government was strict, youth in the country enjoyed various freedoms we do in America. "They are students and young people just like we are," Baden said. "After school we went to the movies and experienced nightlife just like anywhere else."

Other students including Lyric Carter of Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School, Valery Lavigne of The College of New Jersey and David Marzban of Pepperdine University, spoke about their experiences as well.

"After graduation - in the short term - I would like to return to China to teach English, but I do plan on attending law school and I believe that my experiences will lead to great opportunities in the future," said Marzban.  

Each of the panelists spoke of the importance of being immersed in the culture and that their experiences made them want to go back to China in the future to teach and even live.  Various members of the audience also took advantage of the opportunities to study in China. Two Fulbright Scholars, Yilin Zhang from Michigan and Willa Dong of Gaithersburg, MD, both spent 10 months in China studying in Shanghai and Beijing.

Sarah Davis, a 7th grade student at Tyee Middle School in Bellevue, WA, was the only student selected from her school to come to the event and was accompanied by her teacher, Rongfen Sun Burford.  "Out of all the languages Chinese is the most difficult and interesting," Davis said.

John Flower, director of the Chinese studies program and global initiatives for Sidwell Friends School, brought a group of students to the event as well.  "I hope to learn about the program and how it can help students, as well as the future of the partnership between the two countries," Flower said. " We' re honored to be here."

Howard University also cited some of its plans to send students abroad going forward. "We are working to expand our University and expose our students to more opportunities," said President Sidney A. Ribeau. "Last year, we had 17 MBA students spend two months studying in China."  Dean of the School of Communications Dr. Jannette L. Dates, also spoke on how the Annenberg Honors Program plans to develop an international study component. 

"After speaking to President Ribeau backstage on how Howard plans to send more students abroad, it's really a win-win situation for everyone that gets involved with the initiative," Stock said. 

Michael Tomlin-Crutchfield writes for The Hilltop, the Howard University student newspaper, which originally published this article.

Tuskegee University Welcomes New President

BY MATT OKARMUS


Among a crowd of students, faculty and alumni of Tuskegee University, Gilbert L. Rochon became the school's newest president Saturday. He is only the sixth president in the 130-year history of the university.


Members of the community and various well-wishers also filled the Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Center for more than three hours to witness the inauguration of the new president. More than 25 speakers took the stage to offer their praise and congratulations to Rochon, including Gov. Robert Bentley, who is still fresh off his own inauguration.


"It is indeed an honor for one of my first appearances as your newly inaugurated governor to come to Tuskegee University," Bentley said. "This is such a prestigious university. As the governor of the state of Alabama, I want to support all institutions of higher learning and there is no greater institution than Tuskegee University."The university's history was a focal point of the afternoon as founder and first president Booker T. Washington was mentioned by nearly every speaker. John Wilson, executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, mentioned Washington's ambition of starting an entire university out of nothing and wished for Rochon to have the same productivity, ambition and discovery as Washington.


Before taking Tuskegee University into the future, Rochon himself also acknowledged the past. "It is with great respect for this historic institution, founded by Booker T. Washington on July 4, 1881, and for my illustrious predecessors that I stand before you today," Rochon said.


Rochon said he "stood upon the shoulders" of past presidents, including Washington, Robert Moton, Frederick Douglas, Luther Foster and Benjamin Payton. He went on to praise the university's student body, faculty and programs while talking of specific goals for the future.


Enhancing the undergraduate program, building on their strengths in veterinary medicine and dedicating themselves to the social and economic development of the surrounding regional communities were just some of the tasks Rochon laid out. He also spoke of upgrading the buildings and improving the athletic facilities, both drawing huge cheers from the crowd. "George Washington Carver once said 'Where there is no vision, there is no hope,'" Rochon said. "We have hope in abundance and we have great expectations."


Payton, the university's previous president, said the board of trustees has chosen well before placing the medal of presidency around Rochon's neck. Letters read from former U.S. President Bill Clinton and current President Barack Obama also praised the appointment of Rochon and the prestige of one of the oldest historically black colleges and universities.


The ceremony had a few light moments throughout the afternoon, including Auburn University President Jay Gogue, that school's 18th president, asking for "some good advice" from Rochon on longevity in office.


Rochon's brother Stephen, a retired Coast Guard rear admiral who is now chief usher in the White House, joked about not using that much time for his remarks because he didn't want to do what a preacher did a few years back and put the crowd to sleep.


Stephen Rochon said that actually happened and he remembers a little boy going up to the preacher with his hands on his hips and asking him to "please shut up." The crowd erupted in laughter when he said the boy in the story was the university's new president.


Rochon's immediate family was also in attendance and joined him on stage. They included his wife, Patricia, son Hildred, daughter Emile and mother, Ursula Carrere Rochon Jupiter.


Rochon previously served as director of the Purdue Terrestrial Observatory, senior research scientist for the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing and associate vice president for collaborative research and engagement at Purdue University. He holds a doctorate in urban and regional planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master's degree in public health from Yale University and a bachelor's degree from Xavier University of Louisiana.

PiNK BRASS KNUCKLES has allowed me to pass on this message...

What is Sexy?

What is sexy? Sexiness is often confused with beauty or sex appeal. Sexy has absolutely nothing to do with either. Sexy does not mean dressing in clothes that barely cover nipples, butt cheeks and camel toes. Being sexy is a lifestyle. On a female, there are 5 components that make a woman sexy.

Class - Being classy is the first step to sexiness. Classy means that you are grown and mature enough to leave the bullshit immaturity behind. Wretchedness is not a becoming feature. Despite where you grew up, class is something you can accumulate and perfect. (For example, Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman").

Personality - Though classy, you still must have something unique about you, which is your personality. You must be able to hold a conversation or debate. Your personality equates your likability.

Style - You don't have to be drop dead gorgeous, but you can look the part. Clothes play a big part of this because they are a reflection of you. Rather than wearing less clothes to draw attention to your appealing body parts, wear more clothing to add mystery, but also look classy. Your clothes don't have to be expensive or name-brand. However, if you can take clothes that aren't flashy and pair them nicely with some stilettos, you're set. Being able to look beautiful in jeans, a nice blouse and nice shoes adds class, mystery and allure.

Intelligence - Like I stated in a previous post, intelligence is sexy. You don't have to be Gretchen from "Recess," but you have to have some type of knowledge about the world around you. Even if academics is not your forte, you can be knowledgeable about other topics such as sports, cooking, insects, history...etc. Whatever that may be, it adds to your allure and mystery. Intelligence--no matter the subject--is sexy.

Confidence - Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman can possess. Confidence does not mean walking around acting stuck-up or bourgeois. Confidence is walking into a room full of beautiful women and knowing that, no matter how beautiful they were, you still stand out. Confidence doesn't mean being conceited or catty. It means being able to compliment another female on how pretty her shoes, nails, jeans, hair, skin are and not feeling competitive.

Sexiness is a healthy combination of classiness, personality, style, intelligence, and confidence. Ladies, you don't have to let your body parts ooze out of your clothes to be sexy. If you possess these qualities, you are already sexy.

♥P.

Health Tips From Tisch...

Eat fewer packaged foods. I see so many young women who are all about the grab-and-go.  I get the appeal -- we're all busy! You don't want to go home every night to a frozen dinner.  Many processed foods are loaded with salt, preservatives, sugars, and unhealthy fat. It doesn't take much longer to make a healthier, do-it-yourself version.  Find recipes online or take a cooking class.  Buy and eat the fresh stuff: fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, lean protein.  After that, if half a bag of M&M's falls into the mix, so what? Enjoy food; don't revile it!

E-Mail TischFitness@live.com for personal training rates!

“A Couple of Silent Killers”

If all the new HIV cases and senseless shootings were to cease, Black people would still be doomed.  As long as diabetes, often called “sugar,” and high-blood pressure, also known as Hypertension, are still prevalent in the Black community, we will continue to meet our maker faster than any other ethnic group.


       Blacks make up only 15% of the American population and it seems as though when it comes to health, we might have the most to worry about.  Blacks are facing the most chronic illnesses and it’s at an all time high.  I contribute many of the health issues in the Black community to obesity, predisposed conditions, a lack of awareness and also a lack of healthcare. 

It is believed that one out of every two Black babies born in America will develop type 2 diabetes. Blacks are twice as likely as Whites to have a run-in with diabetes.  In the United States today, 1 in 7 Blacks are actually are aware that they have the disease.  Who knows how many people are unknowingly living with the ailment. Many people are unaware that diabetes places them on Death Avenue even when treated.   

“We're seeing shortening of life spans, people are dying earlier from heart disease, strokes," says Dr. Duane Smoot, chair of the medical department at the Howard University Hospital.  Diabetes affects the blood vessels and cause hardening of the arteries more frequently which makes it difficult to age.  Dr. Smoot says, “We have very firm data that tells us that diabetes itself had reached epidemic proportions in this nation as a whole, but more specifically in the African-American community."

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, four out of five Black women are overweight or obese. Black women have the highest rates of being overweight in America. Dr. Joyce Richey, diabetes researcher and assistant professor at the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California says, "Obesity and diabetes go hand in hand. The obesity issue is the trigger and we have a genetic background that sets off that trigger.  The result is a diabetes epidemic.  When you become obese, you become less responsive to the insulin that your body is putting out."  A study done by the department of Health and Human Services proves from 2003-2006, Black women were 70% more likely to be obese than White women.  With these numbers, like HIV, diabetes will too become a Black woman’s disease.

There is another “silent killer” on the loose in the Black community and it is high blood pressure.  It is known to affect many organs without a mere sign or symptom.  Just like diabetes, high blood pressure causes heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and vision problems.  It will have you knocking on heaven’s door if gone untreated.  Blacks with high blood pressure have an 80% higher chance of dying from a stroke than in the general population.

According to the American Heart Association in order to reduce your risk for heart attacks you must not use tobacco, be physically active, eat healthy foods, watch your weight and avoid excessive alcohol, have regular checkups, control your cholesterol, and keep your diabetes in check.  Those rules don’t sound too bad until you realize most Blacks in America are living in poverty and many consume tobacco products and eat off the dollar menu at their local fast food restaurant.  Blacks are three times as likely to live below poverty.  If one can barely eat, I doubt if they will be paying a visit to a doctor.  The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation says uninsured African Americans are much less likely to have seen a physician over the course of a year compared to those with private or Medicaid coverage.

The stress that comes along with worrying how you’re going to eat dinner might contribute to the fact hypertension developing earlier and blood pressures being higher in Blacks.  Hypertension is accredited for 20% of African American deaths in the US which is twice as high the percentage among Whites.

35% of African Americans have hypertension. According to the American Heart Association, within the African-American community, the majority of the people with the highest rates of hypertension are middle aged or older, less educated, overweight or obese, physically inactive, and have diabetes.  The AHA also says Non-Hispanic blacks are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure than whites.

“People die of heart attacks and strokes because diabetes. It is one of the more under listed causes of death of all causes... With the trend line that we're on, it's a terrible epidemic," says Dr. Wayman Wendell Cheatam medical director at the Medstar Research Institute in Washington, D.C.

Blacks in America might stand a chance if they only they had access to a little healthcare. Thanks to Obama and Nancy Pelosi fighting for healthcare, some Blacks will live longer.  With the opportunity for health services, many misfortunes and disparities can be avoided. The Kaiser Foundation also found 20% of school-age Black children and 10% of younger children have not seen a physician even once in the past year. 

Standard check-ups are needed to evaluate a child’s social and physical development.  There’s no telling how many minor issues have become major issues because something has gone untreated.  The poor babies are already headed down a terrible path.  If a child grows up never visiting a doctor, he or she will think nothing of healthcare.  As an adult the child will think nothing of an insurance policy.  

As long as Blacks continue to live in poverty with incomes below 200% of poverty, there’s no telling what’s going to happen if Obamacare is repealed. Diabetes and high blood pressure are chronic diseases that require daily medication. Nothing more than the worst will occur if it goes untreated.

Detroit Serial Rapist Attacks Again, Group Patrols Streets « CBS Detroit Reports

After another attack by a repeat rapist, a community activist group in Detroit says it’s ready to hit the streets.

The latest attack took place Monday night. And while police are not releasing details, they do say this suspect is targeting women who are alone. Detroit Police are advising people to carry a cell phone and let others know where they will be.

The head of the community activist group Detroit 300 says they will hit the streets again, Thursday, and will patrol the northeast side of town – the same area where police say a man attacked a number of women this month.

The same group patrolled the streets last summer after a 90-year-old woman was raped. Police credited that group’s efforts in the arrests of three men from that attack.

Detroit Police say the man suspected in the string of rapes has attacked women walking alone, at bus stops and getting out of their cars. According to police, the man takes the women at gunpoint to a secluded location, then robs and sexually assaults them.

The suspect is described as a black male in his 30s, 5’9″, with a thin build, mustache and goatee.

Anyone with information is asked to call 313-596-1950.