And the Oscar goes to...Racism.

I love the Oscars...I love the glitz and glam and fashion.  I don't even watch all that many movies but I still enjoy watching the award shows (the same goes for the Grammy's!).  My college roommates and I actually threw watch parties in college.  However, I was beyond disappointed this year.  It is unclear to me if Chris Rock or the Academy made it about race but thanks to his opening monologue, I couldn't even watch it.  The opening monologue made me realize that we aren't over the whole white/black thing.  As a society we keep bringing it up.  We are keeping it alive.  It is so sad. 

I am absolutely against slavery or segregation...there's no sound argument to support either in my book.  I hate that this is part of our country's history but I did not take part in it and I really have no intention of keeping that history alive.  I don't see people in black and white...I just see people.  I love culture and learning about people different than me but I believe this probably comes from my drive for a better perspective in this world.  A let me define my use of "different" for you...anyone that looks, believes, acts or lives in a manner not the same as me.  

This past year I watched the movie "The Butler" and was overwhelmed with emotion.  (Although I'm not a member of "The Academy" and know absolutely nothing about awarding Oscars, I highly recommend it!)  This movie helped me understand the sense of pride, accomplishment, and just an overall feeling of overcoming adversity people of African American decent felt when President Barack Obama was elected into office 8 years ago.  That moment signified (or should have) overcoming a hurdle of our country's past.  However, I can't help but feel over the last several years, our society has actually grown more racial divided. (Clarification...I'm not blaming Obama.  I am blaming society - we own this.)  Distinguishing white from black seems to be lingering in our vocabulary and I can't help but be disappointed in our entire society because of it.  And while I can appreciate there are people in this world that are still racist, I have to hope these people are slowly becoming extinct.  By way of the average life expectancy, in the next 20-30 years we should see no more living people that experienced regulated inequality through segregation.  I really hope in 20 years we find ourselves living among people that don't see the world in black or white but that just see the world.  So if sentiments of racism linger, we are the only ones to blame.

And I do believe anyone holding onto these sentiments, past, present and future will be held accountable before God.  Our ancestors that participated in slavery have stood before God and were accountable for their behavior.  Our relatives that were actively abusive to anyone during the civil rights battles of 1960s will be held accountable.  In the Bible, we saw a ton of segregation based on both race and belief however it is clear we are all equal in Christ.

Acts 10:34-35
Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

Galations 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I don't think the fact there were no black nominees had anything to do about race or opportunity.  It had to do with good movies in 2015.  When you watch a basketball game and there are no white men playing on a team...I don't think that's about race either.  I think that is about talent.  And for whatever reason, in that moment of time, at that basketball audition or draft, there were no white players that made the cut (by the way...is there even a basketball draft?).  It's about making hoops not race.  Just like this year, there were no movies or stars "Oscar - worthy" that included people of African American decent.  And let's be honest, as a whole do we ever agree with what the Academy deems "Oscar-worth"?  Sometimes they get it right and sometimes they are way off irregardless of race.  Our society made it about race this year and for that I couldn't even watch it.  (Although I am happy Leo won...I'm totally a #teamleo #itstartedwithromeoandjuliet fan.)

Racism, disappointment, and hope for a better day,

Ashley Lucille

---