Rowan Blanchard Exposes the Hypocrisy of White Actors Denouncing #OscarsSoWhite on Twitter

Impact

As the Oscars drew closer, celebrities continued to weigh in throughout the weekend on the most memorable aspect of this year's ceremony: its slate of all-white acting nominees.

One of the latest stars to weigh in is Rowan Blanchard, the 14-year-old star of the Disney Channel's Girl Meets World. In a tweet Saturday evening, Blanchard anticipated a lot of the Oscar night speeches by pointing to a larger problem.

A long list of celebrities have already stepped up to the plate to dissect the Oscars' diversity problem; Jada Pinkett Smith, Spike Lee, Viola Davis and Reese Witherspoon have all made statements. But Blanchard's tweet isn't about individuals who have spoken out, or even the ones who will eventually nod to the Oscars' diversity problem during their speeches.

Blanchard's tweet asks Hollywood to focus less on individual actors and more on the decisions that go into making a film and which films are recognized. Not only were predominantly black-cast films underrecognized at this year's ceremony, when they were recognized, it was for their white talent. Hollywood also has a pretty recognizable problem with casting and recognizing women and Latinos.

So, yes, there's a diversity problem in the numbers. But, as Selma director Ava DuVernay would say, it's not just about diversity. It's about making sure opportunities exist for people of color in the film industry. Those individuals who will nod to #OscarsSoWhite in their speeches could and often do have the power to effect change.