#EmmysSoWhite … again
Olivia Colman (center) won outstanding lead actress in a drama for her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth in "The Crown" at the 73rd annual Emmy Awards held on September 19. 'The Crown' also won outstanding drama series
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
There was more diversity in the Emmys presenters Sunday night than there was in the actual winners — and people have feelings about that.
#EmmysSoWhite trended on Twitter after not a single actor of color won in the acting categories despite a record number of diverse nominees this year.
Strong contenders — including the late Michael K. Williams who was up for supporting actor in a drama series for “Lovecraft Country” and Michaela Coel who was nominated for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie for “I May Destroy You” — were shut out.
Coel did win for limited series writing, a first for a Black woman in that category. It was also her first Emmy.
Critics on social media weren’t happy, although there was a Black host (Cedric the Entertainer), a Black announcer (MC Lyte), and a Black recipient of The Governors Award (Debbie Allen), plus RuPaul made history by becoming the most-awarded person of color in Emmy’s history with 11 wins.
“With Cedric as host, ⅔ of the presenters being Black and Latinx, and MC Lyte being the announcer, the #Emmys feel like an Rotary Club awards dinner at a 1950s Connecticut country club,” one person tweeted. “#EmmysSoWhite.”
It’s an old hashtag for an even older complaint.
#EmmysSoWhite came about after #OscarsSoWhite was coined in 2015 by cultural commentator April Reign.
Since then, members of both the TV and movie industries have vowed to be more inclusive.
The-CNN-Wire
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