The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization behind the Oscars, are dead set on not repeating last year’s #OscarsSoWhite controversy. After public outcry for more diversity following yet another year of mostly white nominees in the major categories, the powers that be answered back in late June by adding a record 683 new members — 46 percent of them women and 41 percent of them POC. The new members included Star Wars breakout John Boyega and Hermione Granger herself, Emma Watson.
Now, the Academy is going a step further and allowing those newbies (along with all other current members) to vote on who gets to make up the organization's executive committee, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Executive committee members oversee Oscar voting rules as well as new memberships. Until now, that committee was made up of members handpicked by the Academy's Board of Governors.
Staring July 25, Academy members will head to a secure website, check a list a list of members in their branch (like acting or directing) and vote for up to 10 people. The individuals with the most votes will get to fill half of those coveted executive seats, with the rest being determined by the newly elected Board of Governors.
It is a small step toward diversity, but there’s still a lot more work to be done.
