Why African American Award Shows Are Important

Why African American Award Shows Are Important ?

There have been rumblings that this year for the first time the low key event known as "The Black Academy Awards" was cancelled. Yes its great that this year more minorities were recognized by the academy. However the Academy Awards doesn't draw a huge African American audience. Who can blame them? I don't. For years the Award show ignored plenty of great work done by African Americans. To me its very sad that the first African American Woman to win for best actress was just a few short years ago. Diana Ross gave a commanding performance in "Lady Sings the Blues". Whoppi Goldberg was great in "The Color Purple" but they lost. Today both of those movies are still popular. Dorothy Dandridge was ignored as well for "Carmen Jones". Today that movie is more popular than the day it was first released.

This is why the NAACP came up with the image awards. This was a way to celebrate the talent in the African American community. It also gave the talent exposure to a TV audience that may not of herd of the movie they were in. Its also a golden way to show that their work was not unnoticed by other African American artist.

I think the NAACP IMAGE AWARDS should be broadcast on a National Network and give it the same respect that the other award shows get. For some reason it isn't. I also think that the GLADD MEDIA AWARDS should be televised as well. These awards go to actors who played a gay or lesbian charectors.

Minorities need award shows because it show being a minority is fine and your not alone.