While the media firestorm continues to swirl around the "white-washed" Oscar nominations, Hollywood is gearing up for another major awards ceremony on Monday: the Grammys.
Voices within Hollywood and the mainstream media have criticized the Oscar committee over recent weeks for their lack of diversity within their nominations: not a single actor or actress of color received a nomination this year.
Grammy Nominee Robin Burgess is the president of the New Orleans-based music management company Burgess Management, which houses 5x Grammy Award winner Terence Blanchard. As an African-American herself, Burgess was particularly struck by the issue and added her voice to the discussion in a Facebook post criticizing Hollywood, and those trying to brush off the Oscars’ oversight by undermining the value of the awards themselves:
"For those who say the Oscars don't matter… The Oscars DO matter. It is a measurement of success which validates that you belong--in an industry that knows you belong, but won't publicly acknowledge you." She continued, "I personally know many, many great writers, directors, and producers of color who have approached studio executives of all shades, including their own, only to be told their projects weren't mainstream enough."
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