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Is the Academy ready for Tiffany Haddish?
Let’s hope so because the gregarious star of Girls Trip has just been invited to join The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences along with Kendrick Lamar and Jada Pinkett Smith, in an effort to add a pop of color and diversify the organization that was called #OscarsSoWhite just a few years ago.
On Monday, the Academy released a list of names of people they have asked to join the organization that is behind the Oscars, reports the Daily Mail.
Kendrick Lamar, who has won a Pulitzer Prize for his musical work, was asked to join for his contribution to the Marvel hit movie Black Panther. Haddish was the breakout star of Girl Trip, along with co-star Pinkett-Smith.
Daniel Kaluuya were also invited to join the esteemed Academy ranks.
According to the Los Angeles Times, “Oscar voters are nearly 94 percent Caucasian and 77 percent male,” with African Americans comprising “about 2 percent of the academy, [while] Latinos are less than 2 percent.”
The Academy’s CEO Dawn Hudson said the Academy intends to increase its membership by 1,500 and 535 respectively by 2020, according to reports. The membership will rise to 9,226 is this year’s nominees accept their prestigious invites.
Pinkett-Smith was a big critic of the Oscars and vented by putting out an online video criticizing the Academy for its lack of diversity.
Other that was asked to join include Blake Lively, Dave Chappelle, Miles Teller, Daisy Ridley, Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Lily James, Lily Collins, Chloe Grace Moretz, Olivia Munn and Gina Rodriguez.
—#PermitPatty, who called police on Black girl selling water, faces backlash—
Two years in a row, there were no Black nominees in the four major acting categories. Not one. The ‘OscarsSoWhite’ hashtag was born, thanks to Broadway Black Managing Editor and A-list social media influencer April Reign.
A full list of the 928 members can be found here.