See, white folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don’t like the people who make it,”-
Delta Slim (played by Delroy Lindo) in Sinners
That line highlights themes of cultural appropriation, racism, and the commodification of Black art by white audiences, reflecting the historical exploitation of Black musicians in the film Sinners.
Which ironically is mirrored by the cultural appropriation, racism, and the commodification of Black art by white filmmakers reflecting the historical exploitation of Black filmmakers in Hollywood today.
I’ve noticed numerous post-mortem attempts to justify the glaring snubs of Sinners in several categories at the Oscars.
This isn’t about “wokeness,” charity, or “DEI” band-aids for past injustices. Such a line of thinking only diminishes the indelible, generational achievement of Sinners to American culture, particularly Black American culture. This is not about hurt feelings; this is strictly business.
Let me clarify a few things.
When Black soldiers returned from World War II, they were some of the wars most decorated veterans. However, they were denied the G.I. Bill, which provided white soldiers with low-interest loans educational and job opportunities in desirable neighborhoods.
In contrast, Black soldiers faced contempt and couldn’t build the generational wealth that created the modern American middle class. These are undeniable facts.
Fast forward to today. We Black creatives still struggle to build generational wealth and equity wherever we find ourselves. Hollywood is uniquely structured so Black creatives and executives face the kind of headwinds that mirror our ancestral struggle for equity.
There is an historical aspect of “love and theft” in Hollywood where Black Films are appreciated and Black people face lower compensation prejudice and exclusion all while Black viewership and creativity energize the film industry.
By 1969, Hollywood faced severe decline as the old post WW2 studio system failed and big-budget films struggled against the rise of television.
During the Blaxploitation era of the 70’s Independent films like Director Melvin Van Peebles Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) and studio hits like Director Gordon Parks Shaft (1971) proved Black-led films were highly profitable.
Major studios survived bankruptcy due to these popular films, which provided capital for mainstream projects. This forced Hollywood to acknowledge a large, previously underserved “inner-city” market, leading to a surge in hiring Black filmmakers and actors.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, diverse audiences, particularly Black and Latino viewers, again played a crucial role in keeping movie theaters open and the film industry afloat. However, despite our established loyalty, coveted economic power, and talent on both sides of the camera, we remain marginalized, appropriated and exploited.
Case in point. Best Picture Oscar was awarded to a white mans idea of a Blaxploitation film, One Battle After Another. (OBAA) This problematic film depicted a fetishized and hypersexualized portrayal of black women falling for the classic trope of the incompetent white savior, which led to considerable criticism and backlash against the film’s director, Paul Thomas Anderson. Who also won Best Director.
Now Quentin Tarantino was a thief, but at the very least his films were fun to watch.
Not sure who this film was made for. No shade to the talented sisters like Teyana Taylor or Regina Hall who delivered remarkable performances.
I personally did not feel Black love from this soulless film as I did with authentic examples like Cotton Comes to Harlem or Coffey.
Actresses like Pam Grier (Coffey) and Tamara Dobson (Cleopatra Jones) inspired future action heroines with their portrayals of no nonsense, tough, sexy babes. However, I experienced none of their playful Black joy sitting through OBAA.
The genre revolutionized film music with groundbreaking funk and soul scores by artists like Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. Despite legitimate criticisms of stereotypes of ghetto life, the genre is considered crucial to Black cinema’s evolution.
OBAA was neither crucial to Black Film and though featuring Black actors, wasn’t made for Black People.
To paraphrase Delta Slim-
“See, white folks, they like Black Films just fine. They just don’t like the people who make them.”
Why the Oscars matter
While Academy Awards don’t determine who receives recognition from Black Culture, we were well aware, upon entering the 98th Oscars, that Sinners wouldn’t be a sweeping winner.
Academy Awards do contribute to equity and credibility in an industry that undeniably perpetuates systemic inequalities. Oscar night, it was crystal clear that Black creatives continue to face significant challenges in succeeding compared to their white counterparts.
The irony of Micheal B. Jordan’s Best Actor win for nailing his dual role is literally “a Black man working twice as hard to go half as far” that wasn’t lost on any of the Black folks I know.
Ryan Coogler keepin’ it real with this intricate musical inspired braid work Oscar night
Winning an Oscar is a career-defining achievement that enhances bargaining power, creative control, and earning potential. There’s no direct cash prize, but the “Oscar bump” translates into long-term financial and professional benefits. To that end. We want what’s rightfully ours, just like everyone else.
Consider Sinners Director and Academy Award winning Screenwriter (that felt good to write) Ryan Coogler and his team’s achievements, him notably without code-switching his Oakland, CA cadence for the comfort of white audiences.
His already legendary contributions to telling stories for us, not “about” us have positively impacted many Black women and other women of color’s careers.
Autumn is of Filipino descent on her mother’s side and Black Creole on her father’s side, was the first woman to win the Best Cinematographer prize in the Academy’s 98-year history, following her work as the first woman to shoot a feature on large-format IMAX.
Autumn Durald Arkapa made history at the 98th Academy Awards in becoming the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography for her work on Sinners. She was also the first woman of color.
Ruth E.Carter a two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer, made history as the first African American to win an Oscar for Costume Design and later became the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards in any category. Her work on Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) defined the visual aesthetic of Afrofuturism.
Micheal B. Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual performance as the twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller. This victory marks his first-ever Oscar nomination and win.
He is only the sixth Black man to win best actor in nearly 100 years, joining a list that includes Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.
Micheal B. Jordan accepting the Academy Award for Best Actor as his mother Ms.Donna
Jordan proudly looks on
Accepting his award, Jordan understood what all Black folks intrinsically know. it’s about “We,” not “me.” Nobody reaches the top alone. He honored his mother, family, God, collaborators, and fans. He thanked everyone in that audience. Even those who refused to clap for him.
In Black culture, collective work and responsibility are foundational values. Community progress benefits everyone. It emphasizes shared effort to overcome systemic challenges and achieve prosperity. This is how we’ve survived and continue to thrive with a nation of millions blocking our paths.
Academy Awards aren’t handouts; they’re the result of hard work, dedication and a lot of money from the studios.
The comparison between the Academy Awards and expensive political campaigns is common. Both require significant financial investment, strategic lobbying, and public relations to influence a voting body, in this case Academy members.
The “Oscar bump” provides a substantial return on investment, leading to increased box office revenue, higher licensing fees for streaming platforms, and lasting cultural prestige.
For example, Slumdog Millionaire tripled its revenue after winning, while The King’s Speech garnered an additional $21 million post-Oscar. Black and brown filmmaking excellence therefore deserves the recognition, fair compensation and power to green light projects that white filmmakers routinely enjoy.
Cooglers film Sinners has garnered the most nominations in history (16) and won four Oscars, thought surprisingly not the top prize Best Picture, (that’s an issue for a different time).
Black individuals or projects routinely face skepticism and unfair treatment in this industry. Let’s not forget Hollywood industry trade Variety’s strange framing of Sinners early box office returns.
The magazine’s coverage of Sinners, which many critics and fans labeled as racially biased or reductive, downplayed the film’s $60M+ opening weekend success. This was particularly concerning given that the film was a Black-led blockbuster as Variety faced accusations of racial bias in its industry analysis.
Long before his Oscar win however, Ryan Coogler secured a groundbreaking deal with Warner Bros. for his 2025 film. This deal ensures full creative control, box office gross, and ownership rights after 25 years. It reverts rights by 2050, allowing Coogler and Proximity Media to profit from long-term licensing, streaming, and merchandising, fostering generational wealth.
Sinners fed us in a way that resonates with Black folks on a gut level. Sinners didn’t win Best Picture, but its impact on Black culture is undeniable. Academy Awards don’t define cultural significance.
When Coogler said “All cast and crew please stand” to honor all involved and share his heartfelt gratitude after winning Best Original Screenplay, that’s how we move—Ubuntu. “I am because we are.”
Misty Copeland, principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, graced the Oscars stage with her ballet performance of “I Lied To You” from the films ancestral musical dance montage that Coogler wrote which will be studied in film schools forever.
Sinners’ most iconic scene provides a history of Black dance, including West African, Lindy Hop, Breaking, Twerking, C-Walking, and Memphis Jooking. This was intentional, transformative and impactful.
Clearly, we all understood it was to draw waining viewership to the Academy Awards. It worked. Misty performed in the iconic Firebird costume from Dance Theatre of Harlem, designed by Geoffrey Holder, carrying the rich history and significance of this outfit. Her dance celebrated the spirit of the film and the profound depth of Black musical storytelling.
It filled us all with remembrance of how we felt seeing this moment for the first time on screen and collectively proud for Sinners’ contributions to The Culture that will endure far beyond any film that was deemed superior by the Academy to Coogler and company’s combined efforts.
Sinners has won 4 Oscars, 3 BAFTAs, 13 NAACP Image Awards, 2 Grammys, 2 SAG Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 4 Critics Choice Awards, grossed $370 million worldwide, and has a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Equitable treatment to green light, write, produce, direct and star in more “For Us By Us” projects like Sinners will, in turn, create more opportunities for traditionally marginalized groups, to build generational wealth.
Warner Bros arguably spent the smartest $90 million in movie history. We are no longer content with simply being present; we need to get paid.
Delta Slims phrase I led with emphasizes the distinction between appreciating a cultural product and respecting the, community from which it originated, there is a significant difference between being seated at the fancy table yet still hungry and being served at the fancy table and satisfied.
At the heart of the issue is Black self-determination. The freedom to tell our stories and to enjoy financial independence that has been historically denied us in Hollywood.
If denying us our well deserved accolades negatively impacts our paper?
We have a serious problem.
Art credit- Author
