Pre-Oscar Thoughts

In just a few minutes the Oscars will start and I plan to be glued to the TV set until the bitter end. I'll be watching for several reasons, Chris Rock, the dresses, the film clips, but also because I really want to see when Jamie Foxx wins the best actor statue.

Earlier today, I attempted to blog on the broader subject of race, and I intended to bring my weird brand of humor to the mix based on my TV watching this past week in Florida. It got to be too big a subject for me to tackle in my condition (I'm sick with a mild flu of some sort), so then I decided to focus on the Oscars and what it would mean if the black actors won this year.

But I got tired as the medicine kicked in, so I abandoned that post and took a nap. A few minutes ago, I watched Jamie Foxx's interview with Barbara Walters, and I think he has *it*--an understanding about race and its implications to young people of color. I hope that it is his night.

This week, I saw lots of bad examples of what it means to be black, or at least what it costs to be black on TV these days. It is terrible--one-dimensional caricatures that present a false image of blackness. I am one of those people who hates to reflect on how *we* look to *them* because I would rather that we be accepted as the multi-faceted race that we are. Yes, we are a people that can be represented by crack-heads, drunks, criminals, but also by teachers, bus drivers, parents, and of course the secretary of state.

Jamie Foxx told Barbara Walters that it is important for him to win as a black man because he wants to counteract of all those negative images of blackness. He wants to be an example to the millions of black men that they can make it, that they can be successful. His portrayal of Ray Charles, a man who lived a rough life but who still became one of America's most loved entertainers, serves as further proof that being black in America is something worth celebrating.

If Jamie doesn't win this evening, it will not be the end of the world. He is such a great talent that I fully believe that his name will appear on more envelopes for this category. I feel the same way about Don Cheadle, who is also one of the greatest talents (he is up against Jamie tonight, so I doubt his chances this time around). It took a while for the Academy to honor Denzel with the top prize, and it has taken them a while to honor Morgan Freeman (an oversight that I hope will be corrected tonight as well). There are plentyof others, and I hope that these brothers will turn these nominations into the same type of star power that the white actors do (did someone say Cuba Gooding, Jr...yeah, I'm talking to you).

I hope that this means more doors opened for black actresses, black writers and others in the film and entertainment industry. I also hope that this translates into more diversity for other actors of color. It is about time that actors of color received the same notice that white actors get, including more diverse projects, creative casting and even more race-specific stories. Its 2005, and as blacks often trailblaze for others, so let's hope that this is the beginning of something new in Hollywood.