If there’s one thing the whitest, most male-dominated Oscars managed to accomplish this year, it is to spur a gigantic, inspiring wave of Diversity awareness. From Neil Patrick Harris’ hilarious, yet on-point introduction “Tonight, we honor the best and whitest…sorry, brightest“, to Patricia Arquette’s rousing speech dedicated to women’s equality (and this despite the unfortunate media backlash that ensued), not to mention discussions around LGBT, national security, immigration and suicide issues, Diversity was at the front row this year. The peak of the evening was John Legend and Common’s rendition of Selma’s song “Glory” , that left everyone in tears, as the Oscars brought about more sincerity about Diversity than was frankly expected.

Days later, social media erupted with the backlash around comments made by Fashion Police’s Giuliana Rancic towards Disney star Zendaya Coleman’s dreadlocks, joking about the fact they smelled of “patchouli and…weed”. Since then, Rancic has issued an on-air and over social media apology, which Zendaya has elegantly accepted, yet her co-host at Fashion Police Kelly Osbourne has left the show, allegedly as a result of the tumultuous events.

Talks of diversity were, and still are, very much heated everywhere these days. And while it’s a good thing for diversity (or the lack thereof), to be exposed in bright daylight, we have to be careful to focus on what is really at stake for people and minorities everywhere. I am in awe of Selma director Ava Du Vernay’s request to cancel protests over the lack of diversity in Hollywood, and her refusal to allow all the talks about race, gender and class to detract from the beauty of the movie itself. As she says in an interview with The News, “With all due respect, all of these issues around race, gender and class are a distraction right now to the beauty of a film about freedom fighters who fought for justice and indignity; the rest of it is kind of media-created hype.”

Yes, we do have to talk about diversity, and find ways to expose the problems created by the lack of it and remedy these. Yet, we must also keep in mind Diversity is a medium of inclusion, not exclusion. While condemning the lack of it is necessary, our focus should be on creating art, products, institutions, laws that promote the acceptance and advancement of all equally, and that are recognized as such. In order to promote change, we must not only talk about it, but also work at it. And most often, the work that accomplishes the most change is also the one that speaks more through its results than its heated conversations…

What do you think of the recent heated media debate about Diversity?

The Corporate Sister.