HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 02: Actress Lupita Nyong'o poses in the press room during the Oscars at Loews Hollywood Hotel on March 2, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) (2014 Getty Images)
Lupita Nyong’o made history in 2013 when she took home the best supporting actress Academy Awards for her work in “12 Years a Slave,” becoming only the seventh black woman to take home the trophy in an acting category.
So the recent uproar regarding the lack of diversity among this year’s acting categories has left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Nyong’o, who considers herself Kenyan-Mexican, is the latest celebrity to weigh in on the topic, taking to Instagram on Tuesday to share her thoughts.
"I am disappointed by the lack of inclusion in this year's Academy Awards nominations," Nyong'o, 32, wrote in the post. "It has me thinking about unconscious prejudice and what merits prestige in our culture."
She added: "The Awards should not dictate the terms of art in our modern society, but rather be a diverse reflection of the best of what our art has to offer today."
The calls for diversity have grown strong in recent days with A-list stars Jada Pinkett Smith, George Clooney, Spike Lee, Idris Elba and David Oyelowo issuing statements since the nominations were announced last week. Whoopi Goldberg also commented on “The View” on Tuesday, while Oscars Chris Rock poked fun at the Academy on Twitter, calling the show the “White BET Awards.”
"I stand with my peers who are calling for change in expanding the stories that are told and recognition of the people who tell them," Nyong'o concluded.
The actress is the first Latina to speak out on the subject.
Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, promised earlier this week that it was time for “big changes.” She vowed an examination of the Academy and a more intense drive to diversify.
“While we celebrate (the nominees’) extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion,” she said. “This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes.”
Hollywood insiders suggest that the blame for the lack of diversity does not fall solely on the Academy, but on the studios as well.
“We could blame the Academy, but the problem is the studios,” Alex Nogales told Fox News Latino on Tuesday. “Studio executives are predominately white, male. You see can see why we don’t see more movies with Latinos get a green light.”
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