Last year, the Oscars were buzzing with the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag. While there's still a long way to go before that particular hashtag is a thing of the past, Hollywood is making strides. This year's nominees are evidence of that. In fact, 2017 marks a lot of historical milestones for the awards show. We compiled a few in a video so you can show off at this year's Oscar viewing party.
This year, Black women are shining in the Best Supporting Actress category. Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), and Viola Davis (Fences) are all nominated. Last year, there wasn't a single Black woman in the category.
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In fact, this is the very first year that there was a Black nominee in every single acting category. Believe it or not, last year, there wasn't a single one in the four acting categories. Same goes for 2015.
There was progress made behind the camera, too. For the first time, a Black woman was nominated for film editing. Joi McMillon is in the runnings for Oscar gold with her work on Moonlight.
In 2005 and 2007, a record-setting five Black actors were nominated. That record was broken this year with a total of six. One of those actors, Viola Davis, set a record of her own. She's the very first Black actress to be nominated for an Academy Award three times.
And while it's clear that there's still progress to be made, especially since the absence of Latino and Asian nominees is still very clear. The Academy has a long way to go, but instead of ignoring the lack of diversity we all see so clearly, it is making changes. Cheers to that.