by Craig Thompson
"As a people, we must remember that we are not as weak as we have allowed
ourselves to be painted, and we are not as strong as we can be" -- John Edward Jacob
Last month, many Americans breathed a collective sigh of relief when Academy Award history was made. On a night when Sidney Poitier was honored for his outstanding creative achievements over four decades, Halle Berry and Denzel Washington received the coveted Oscar Awards in the Best Actress and Best Actor categories.
Excitement ran throughout our communities in a manner unseen since the verdict was announced in the first O.J. Simpson trial. Interestingly, the excitement generated by both the Simpson criminal trial and the 2002 Oscar presentations underscores one of the most significant dilemmas facing our communities: when faced with a choice between criticizing major social challenges and celebrating minor victories, our history demands that we suppress the desire to criticize and accept the "bones of progress" thrown by society.
The facts were well known: no Black actor had won the Academy Award for Best Actor since Sidney Poitier for his riveting performance in "Lillies of the Field" in 1963. More significantly, no Black actress had won the Academy Award for Best Actress since the birth of Oscar almost three quarters of a century ago. It is within this context of reality that we viewed the performances and nominations of Halle and Denzel.
Because of this reality, we were not supposed to look critically at the roles for which they were nominated, nor were we inclined to criticize the virtual "blackout" in almost every other category of the Awards. Because so much attention was paid to the history-making nominations of Will Smith, Halle and Denzel, few of us took the time to openly notice that Blacks were essentially absent from the rest of the honors, save Mr. Poitier, who received an honorary award.
Particularly disturbing, for example, was the absence of talented people like Antoinne Fuqua, who directed Washington in "Training Day." It should be noted that many of Denzel's toughest scenes in some of the toughest U.S. neighborhoods were made possible because of Fuqua's "street credibility" and access to the residents of those neighborhoods. Believe me, Ron Howard would not have been able to pull that one off! Our talent certainly extended beyond being in front of the camera.
If you recall, last year the National Panhellenic Council proposed a boycott of BET, claiming that the images on most of its programs portrayed the most stereotypical and base images of African Americans. Because of the history outlined above, the Council was forced to remain silent on the issue of Halle's character in "Monster's Ball," a poor, widowed single mother who slept with her husband's executioner. They also had to keep tight-lipped about Denzel's character in Training Day, a drug-inhaling, crooked cop who stole property and money at will from gang bangers, dealers and even the Russians. The attention and prestige associated with these awards took our attention from the fact that these characters will become indelible parts of American history.
For an image-challenged community, we could have asked for broader representation. This does not mean that roles like these should not be accepted by Black actors. The opposite in fact is true. However, it is incumbent upon us to demand more balanced portrayals of our people, and support those actors who, like Poitier, attempt to consistently show the diverse personalities we possess.
I, like most others, am extremely proud of Halle and Denzel. Their outstanding bodies of work establish them as forces to be reckoned with in Hollywood and beyond. Even so, we simply cannot lose sight of the important fact that a great deal of work must still be done to expand opportunities for people of color on all sides of the creative process. Then, when we receive the bones of recognition, we can assemble them into a body with a life of which we can be truly proud.
Craig Thompson is an attorney, lecturer, writer and host of weekly radio and television shows. At age 32, Craig is a highly sought after public speaker, addressing topics such as leadership, goal setting and self-esteem. He has spoken across the country at churches, schools, colleges and to civic organizations. He can be reached at cathompson42001@yahoo.com
