Last night, the 97th Academy Awards marked another historic moment in Hollywood’s ongoing struggle for inclusion. Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Costume Design for his work on Wicked, making him the only Black person ever to win in that category after Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther).
Additionally, Zoe Saldaña made history as the first American of Dominican origin to win Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez. “I know I will not be the last,” Saldaña said in her acceptance speech.
Her win also marked the third time a Latina actress has won the category—and the first time it wasn’t for playing Anita in West Side Story.
We celebrate these wins, but they also reignite a long-standing conversation: Is Hollywood finally addressing its diversity problem, or is it still as exclusive as ever?
Award-winning writer and cultural commentator Ben Arogundade tackles this very question in his book, Hollywood Blackout: The Battle for Inclusion at the Oscars. With a meticulous examination of Hollywood’s racial history, Arogundade exposes the systemic barriers that have kept artists of color on the margins—both at the Oscars and within the broader film industry.
The book is structured chronologically, focusing on pivotal Oscar winners—from Hattie McDaniel, the first Black Oscar winner in 1940, to Halle Berry, the first (and still only) Black woman to win Best Actress in 2002. Arogundade draws from exhaustive research, interviews with industry professionals, and insights from critics, activists, and academics to explore how Hollywood’s racial and gender biases persist, despite moments of progress.
Arogundade doesn’t just highlight the moral and ethical implications of Hollywood’s exclusionary practices—he also discusses the financial cost. According to research cited in Hollywood Blackout, the industry is losing $10 billion annually due to its failure to fully embrace diversity. Failing to invest in inclusive storytelling alienates a massive consumer base.
Films featuring diverse casts and filmmakers—such as Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians, and Coco—have consistently shattered box office expectations. Yet, parity, diversity, and inclusion remain elusive within Hollywood’s most prestigious institutions, including the Academy Awards.
While Hollywood Blackout exposes systemic exclusion, it also celebrates the resilience of Black artists, women, and other marginalized voices who have fought for representation. Arogundade explores the impact of boycotts, civil rights movements, and social media activism—from Marlon Brando rejecting his Oscar on behalf of Native Americans in 1973 to #OscarsSoWhite forcing the Academy to reevaluate its membership in 2016. The book highlights how activism has played a crucial role in reshaping the Academy and the industry at large.
Arogundade urges readers to critically examine the film industry’s narratives on race and representation, while also offering a roadmap for how Hollywood can achieve true inclusivity.
With Tazewell and Saldaña’s historic wins, the conversation about diversity in Hollywood is more relevant than ever. But as Arogundade’s book makes clear, celebrating individual victories is not enough—real change requires systemic transformation.
Get your copy of Hollywood Blackout: The Battle for Inclusion at the Oscars here.
