After two Emmy ceremonies just this year, the excellence in television award show may be leading the charge on Hollywood’s diversity efforts.
The latest Emmy awards broke records and recognized actors of marginalized communities for the first time, including Anna Sawai’s Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series win for “Shogun,” which took home a record 18 Emmys in the latest ceremony. Sawai is the first woman of Asian descent to win the award. Liza Colón-Zayas, who plays Tina Marrero on the acclaimed dramedy, “The Bear,” also became the first Latina to win the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
“I couldn’t help but look at [‘Abbott Elementary’ actress and fellow nominee] Sheryl Lee Ralph’s reaction,” said Angelika Beener, journalist, DJ, producer and podcast host. “It was really incredible to see this veteran legend so happy for Liza, because we’re still celebrating firsts. I think a lot of times we think, ‘Wow, the first!’ But then we think, ‘Wait, the first?’ It signals a bigger issue that there’s still a long way to go.”
But not all award shows are being celebrated for diversity. Notably, Beyoncé did not receive a single nomination from the Country Music Awards for her recording-breaking, acclaimed country album, “Cowboy Carter.”
“This isn’t as if folks like Beyoncé are new to country; folks like Beyoncé founded country,” said Michael Jeffries, dean of academic affairs and professor at Wellesley College. “Beyoncé's going to be okay, and she’s handled all of this with class and discretion. But there are larger issues here around racism and sexism that are not new, and sadly, for everyone involved, don’t seem to be dissipating anytime soon.”
In exciting news from the world of hip-hop, rapper Kendrick Lamar was chosen to headline next year’s Super Bowl halftime show, putting an even bigger spotlight on his recent diss track, “Not Like Us.” Although there’s been controversy around not choosing a New Orleans performer like Lil Wayne alongside discussion regarding the contentious duality between Black Americans and the NFL, Beener says this is still a tremendous achievement for Lamar.
Meanwhile, fans of Sean “Diddy” Combs are now having to reckon with the shocking charges leading to his recent arrest, including sex trafficking and racketeering. Jeffries says this recent news has caused a “wild dissonance” for those who grew up with Combs’ Bad Boy Records, of which music legends like Notorious B.I.G. and Lil’ Kim were a part of.
Finally, three recent deaths of entertainment icons have broken hearts around the world: James Earl Jones, Tito Jackson and Frankie Beverly.
“In ‘The Jacksons: An American Dream’ movie that came out in the early ‘90s, there’s that classic scene when they find out that Tito has been sneaking and playing the guitar, and he changed the course of history,” Beener said. “He was the impetus. He was the spark. And so I just hope that he knew that he was as important as people are now expressing that he was.”
“He’s one of these cases where he persevered and crafted a really long and successful career in the face of continuing discrimination and the limitations around roles for Black men, imaginations of what Black masculinity can look like,” Jeffries said about Jones.
“He gave Black folk our modern cultural anthem, the barbecue anthem, the Black anthem, the electric slide anthem,” Beener said about Beverly and his song, “Before I Let Go.”
“Frankie Beverly was someone who sang a lot about love and uniting and healing from a very, very genuine place,” Beener added. “And not to be too hokey or overly romanticizing anything, but we need that now more than ever.”
GUESTS
- Michael Jeffries, dean of academic affairs, the Class of 1949 professor in ethics, and professor of American studies at Wellesley College.
- Angelika Beener, award-winning journalist, DJ, producer and host of the podcast, “Milestones: Celebrating the Culture” from WBGO.