In one of her Instastories, Amanda Seales’ friend asked her if she was satisfied by this year’s Oscars. She said of course not. The Oscars are not something Black folk watch to be satisfied by. Seales said she “hate-watches” it, like “Girls.” I definitely get it. I had no intention of watching it this year. But then my sister turned it on and it just felt like…why not?! And even though I dipped out 3/4 of the way through to dance salsa, there were still plenty of moments to hold on to, in a largely “not for me” type of show. Check out the Blackest moments on the following pages.
Homage to the ancestors
I mean…just when you think you couldn’t love Tiffany Haddish anymore, she goes and does something so beautiful. Quiet as it’s kept, as funny as she is, Haddish also has not only a depth of character but a profound outlook on life. If you thought her red carpet outfit was a little different, there’s a reason for that. She told Michael Strahan that it’s an homage to the people of Eritrea, her people.
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Daniel and Lupita and Danai
I think I took Daniel Kaluuya’s Oscar loss a little too personally. Still, with friends like Lupita Nyong’o and Danai Gurira, not to mention his incredible talent, I’m sure he’ll be just fine.
And you already know the Black Panther love was strong and real.
Lupita’s Hair
And just in case any White publications want to get cute and attribute Lupita’s hair to someone White, she shared the true, African inspiration on her Instagram page. It’s Rwandan.
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Kobe Bryant
While there is some discussion about whether or not Kobe’s win is appropriate at a time like this, when women in Hollywood are fighting against sexual assault, given his own past, there are others, myself included, who saw the moment as Black Excellence. You retire from your field as a legend and go on to achieve another legendary feat by winning an Oscar with your first film. And I did appreciate that he took a shot at Laura Ingraham and her “shut up and dribble” comments during his acceptance speech.
Tiffany and Maya
I didn’t know I needed a Tiffany Haddish/Maya Rudolph duo until it happened. And it was beautiful. Y’all know Tiffany is never one to hide her Blackness and as soon as they stepped on stage, the two women were quick to inform the audience that while they were presenting as two, Black women, there were plenty of White folks around them, so there was no need to fear. I was outdone when Maya Rudolph said her pinky toe fell off.
Jordan Peele
Yes, in 2018, there are still Black creatives breaking the color barrier in Hollywood. Last night, Jordan Peele became the first Black man to win an Oscar for best original screenplay. Britni Danielle tweeted that, Peele is 1 of 4 Black writers to be nominated for this category in the Oscars’ 90 year history.
And while his speech on stage was powerful, this is what Peele said backstage that nailed the point home.
Keegan Michael Key
What made the win that much sweeter was the reaction of his friend and longtime collaborator Keegan Michael Key. This was the shot of him when Peele’s name was announced as the winner.
Later, in an interview with TMZ he said his heart overflows for him.
Mary J Blige
Mary J. Blige didn’t take home the statue for her role in Mudbound. But she did deliver a soulful performance of her Oscar-nominated song from the film, “Mighty River.”
Tiffany wearing her Alexander Wang Dress…Again
If you thought Tiffany Haddish was joking about wearing this dress over and over again, you thought wrong. And I don’t know if it’s just me but she looks better and better in it as time goes on…slippers and all.
Common and Andra Day
You already know when Common starts “freestyling” or maybe, in this case, rapping acapella, he’s going to say something profound and conscious. And he did just that, combined with vocals from Andra Day. Activists like Janet Mock and Tarana Burke were also featured in the background.
Ryan Seacrest and Taraji
There was a lot of discussion about whether or not it would be appropriate for Ryan Seacrest to host the Oscar red carpet after he was accused of sexual assault. Ultimately, he made the cut. And after several actresses skipped him on the red carpet he finally had what I’ll call a very…interesting exchange with Taraji P. Henson.
Folks immediately assumed that she used the moment to send a message.
Afterward, Taraji issued a statement to People saying that her message had been misconstrued.
“I did it to keep his chin up. It’s an awkward position to be in. He’s been cleared but anyone can say anything.” She said she absolutely supports Seacrest.
Alright girl…but the rest of us will be watching.
