Oscar Statue Outside the Dolby Theater – Photo credit: Reuters.com

Sunday night is Oscar night on ABC! Even before any of the Golden Statues are distributed, the media is abuzz with one of the most lacking characteristics of this year’s event: Diversity! So much so that protests are planned over the lack of diversity among Academy Award voters, and this after nominations were sorely missing any minority actors! Some of the most notable exclusions include Selma’s outstanding director Ava DuVernay and main actor David Oyelowo (the movie did snatch a Best Picture nomination).

According to a 2013 Los Angeles Times investigation, Academy members were found to be 76% male, 93% White, with an average age of 63 years old. Reuters/Ipsos published a poll this past week showing 34% of the poll respondents are convinced Hollywood has a diversity problem, with 62% of the 2000 respondents arguing the Academy does not favor minorities. At least, that is what the absence of minorities across the acting nominations, and women in the screenwriting and directing categories, seems to suggest.

So what do we do with this lack of Oscar diversity? Are we to shun the Gold Statues forever, or lose interest in the film industry altogether? I think even in the most disappointing of situations, there is a silver lining, even as faint as we can make it. Yes, this year there will not be an Oscar for Diversity, and Jennifer Lawrence may not trip again. Yet there is the beginning of a conscious realization everywhere that Art is no longer Art if it fails to represent reality. And reality, today’s reality, can no longer overlook the significant impact of minorities and women. Period.

And by its very noticeable absence, the Diversity Oscar may just be the biggest Golden Statue tonight…

The Corporate Sis.