The lack of representation of minorities in entertainment has caused a recent outbreak in the wake of the approaching award ceremony, the Oscars. Many have referred to this issue as lack of diversity, but it is more than that; it is an issue that has to do with the inclusion and opportunities presented to other ethnic groups apart from the whites.

The first thing that should be addressed is the opportunities presented to other minority groups. Despite having two African American dominated movies up for nomination at the Oscars, not a single black actor or actress was nominated. Viola Davis’s famous speech at the Emmys, where she touched on the topic about roles in Hollywood available for women of color, has been an argument that many have used when it comes to this topic of discussion.

In Hollywood, 75 percent of major roles are given to people of a white background and celebrities are looking forward to a change.

Opportunities set any group apart from others. In most movies African Americans and other ethnic groups are set out to play a stereotypical role that they think is seen in daily life, but it is a rare occasion to see a person of color presented with a leading role in a movie that will make an impact on others’ lives and not just earn a laugh.

“Hearing about this for the first time honestly upset me because America is supposed to be built on equality and opportunity,” Brooke Von Seeger, sophomore said.

This is a problem of inclusion not diversity, two people can be diverse, but we do not want to see the differences in film with more minorities we want to see films with unifying messages with all ethnic groups within that one movie.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Oscars Academy, Awards put out a statement in the wake of celebrities boycotting the award show and promised there would be change in the board of judges the next year around.

The issue spans further than the Oscars and should be expected of screenwriters to start designing the same scripts and roles for minorities rather than presenting actors with the expected role. The best thing about the attention from this issue is that now there is a voice and was brought to light. There must be a change because the whole world is watching.