By The Horn News editorial staff

Film director Spike Lee caused huge controversy across the entertainment world when he demanded a general boycott of the 88th Academy Awards, saying that the film industry is racist against blacks. And he’s gained considerable support. Just this week, Lee has enlisted a number of notable celebrities to his cause, including director Michael Moore, George Clooney, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Their accusation is simple. There should be a boycott, Lee suggests, because there wasn’t a single black actor or actress nominated for an Oscar held in the past two Academy Award ceremonies.

Further, these consecutive snubs to black actors and actresses, Lee says, are a symptom of a greater, serious problem of systematic racism within Hollywood that favors non-blacks.

But is Spike Lee right? Are black actors and actresses really being kept back?

No. And unfortunately for those liberals furiously reaching for their race card, we have proof.

BLACK ACTORS AND ACTRESSES IN HOLLYWOOD

As of 2013, according to the US census, African-Americans made up 13.2% of the U.S. population – over 41.7 million Americans identify as only black (as in, not a part of a mixed family).

If everything were ideal, we can reasonably expect black actors to make up around 13.2% of all film roles, as well as 13.2% of all Oscar nominees and winners.

Does that hold true?

According to a University of Southern California study, out of the top 100 films from 2007 – 2014, 12.5% of the actors were black. The difference between 12.5% and 13.2% is considered statistically insignificant.

Hollywood is almost perfectly representing black actors and actress to its audience.

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

But what about the Academy Awards?

Since the 77th Academy Awards – held in February of 2005 – there have been a total of 192 different Oscar nominations for actors and actresses.

During that time period, Hollywood has seen 23 black actors and actresses nominated for these Academy Awards, or 12% of possible awards.

That means black actors and actresses have been outrageously cheated out of 1.2% of the Oscar bids, or less than two nominations.

But that 1.2% doesn’t mean much. In such a limited selection, large variations are expected. A 1.2% off from the average isn’t very significant at all.

AND THE WINNER IS…

So what about award winners?

Well, Spike Lee is wrong again. Since 2000, there have been nine black actors and actresses who have won the Academy Award for best lead or supporting actor.

That’s nine Oscar wins out of 68 total awards since the 72nd Academy Awards, a perfect 13.2% rate of Oscar wins for black Americans.

And since 2005, black actors and actresses have won seven Oscars, out of 48 total winners; a 14.6% rate.

Sorry, Spike, but the numbers don’t lie.

Black actors’ and actresses’ representation in film, as award nominees and as award winners is EXACTLY what a reasonable person should expect.

The numbers show that very talented black actors and actresses are being hired, being nominated and winning Oscars at a proportional rate to their population in the United States.

To some, it is lamentable that 2016 was the fourth time since the year 2000 that there hadn’t been a black actor nominated for an Academy Award.

But outrage seems a bit much. Boycotts seems even more extreme.

In fact, last year there wasn’t a single black actor nominated. But there were no boycotts then. So where was Spike Lee’s outrage in 2015?

Perhaps he was too busy getting ready.

Last year, Spike Lee attended and accepted the Academy’s Honorary Award as, “A champion of independent film and an inspiration to young filmmakers.”

BLACK ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEES, 2000 – 2016

72nd Academy Awards – March 26th, 2000

Best actor nomination, Denzel Washington

Best supporting actor nomination, Michael Douglas Clark

73rd Academy Awards – March 25th, 2001

NONE!

74th Academy Awards – March 24th, 2002

Best actor nomination, Denzel Washington – WON

Best actor nomination, Will Smith

Best actress nomination, Halle Berry – WON

75th Academy Awards – March 23rd, 2003

Best supporting actress nomination, Queen Latifah

76th Academy Awards – February 29th, 2004

Best supporting actor nomination, Djimon Hounsou

77th Academy Awards – February 27th, 2005

Best actor nomination, Jamie Foxx – WON

Best actor nomination, Don Cheadle

Best supporting actor nomination, Jamie Foxx

Best supporting actor nomination, Morgan Freeman – WON

Best supporting actress nomination, Sophie Okonedo

78th Academy Awards – March 5th, 2006

Best actor nomination, Terrance Howard

79th Academy Awards – February 25th, 2007

Best actor nomination, Forest Whitaker – WON

Best actor nomination, Will Smith

Best supporting actor nomination, Eddie Murphy

Best supporting actor nomination, Djimon Hounsou

Best supporting actress nomination, Jennifer Hudson – WON

80th Academy Awards – February 24th, 2008

Best supporting actress nomination, Ruby Dee

81st Academy Awards – February 22nd, 2009

Best supporting actress nomination, Viola Davis

Best supporting actress nomination, Taraji P. Henson

82nd Academy Awards – March 7th, 2010

Best actor nomination, Morgan Freeman

Best actress nomination, Gabourey Sidibe

Best supporting actress nomination, Mo’Nique – WON

83rd Academy Awards – February 27th, 2011

NONE!

84th Academy Awards – February 26th, 2012

Best actress nomination, Viola Davis

Best supporting actress nomination, Octavia Spencer – WON

85th Academy Awards – February 24th, 2013

Best actor nomination, Denzel Washington

Best actress nomination, Quvenzhané Wallis

86th Academy Awards – March 2nd, 2014

Best actor nomination, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Best supporting actor nomination, Barkhad Abdi

Best supporting actress nomination, Lupita Nyong’o – WON

87th Academy Awards – February 22nd, 2015

NONE

88th Academy Awards – February 28th, 2016

NONE