Good read! Based on the title and cover this was not quite what I was expecting, but the book and writing style kept me interested.

Thanks to NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I used to watch the Academy Awards religiously as a teen and young adult. As the years have gone by, I haven’t really tuned in to the broadcast but avidly read up on the event. I knew the history of African Americans winning the Oscar: first it was Hattie McDaniel, then 20+ years later, it was Sidney Poitier, then 20 years later, it was Louis Gossett, Jr. Hollywood Blackout discusses all this and more in its pages. The lack of BIPOC representation in the movies has long been a problem, not just for African Americans, but Indigenous people, Latinos, Asians, and any other minority. It also discusses the roles women have played in Hollywood and the glass ceiling that still exists in the community for such roles as director and producer.

The book takes a long look at the history of how white Hollywood was, and is, today. It breaks down how roles for BIPOC performers were usually harmful stereotypes, yet if they wanted to work, they took the jobs. Hattie McDaniel may have been the first person of color to win an Academy Award, but it did not open any more doors or get her better roles. Halle Berry, who was the first Black woman to win Best Actress, said the same thing happened to her.

What I did find most interesting in the book is that as the years go by, small strides are made, from Denzel Washington winning two Academy Awards, to Ang Lee winning Best Director, all the way up to last year’s Asian explosion with wins in several categories. Much of the work to balance the Academy’s voters was done by Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the first African American president of the Academy. What was once an almost exclusively old, white male voting populace has now better representation among BIPOC and women, but there’s still a long way to go. It’s indicative of the country as a whole, in that the people in power are still generally old, white males who do not speak for the majority of the country.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of film or race relations in Hollywood.

This book was an extremely interesting & informative read. I enjoyed reading about Gone With the Wind. Hattie McDaniels is an impressive woman. She was set up to fail, but she refused to give up, keeping her chin high with pride & courage when she was attacked by both sides. There's a lot I didn't know about her.

"I've learned by livin' and watchin' that there is only eighteen inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the seat of the pants." Hattie McDaniels, 1941

She succeeded in winning an Oscar, but failed to land progressive roles after that. She didn't change Hollywood, but she tried. And she did make a difference.

Here are a few of the many Black people I enjoyed learning about (amongst many of the others that are mentioned in this book):
Charles Butler
Sydney Poitier

"I like to think it will help someone. But I don't believe my Oscar will be a sort of Magic wand that will wipe away the restrictions on job opportunities for Negro actors." Sidney Poitier, 1964

Louis Gossett Jr.
Denzel Washington Jr.

"I'll always be chasing you, Sidney. I'll always be following in your footsteps. There's nothing I would rather do, sir... God bless you." Denz Washington, 2002

Cheryl Boone Isaacs
Mo'Nique

"I just felt Hattie all over me at that moment, for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics... for enduring all that she had to so that I would not have to." Mo'Nique, 2010

Lupita Nyong'o

"When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that, no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid." Lupita Nyong'o, 2014

Notable Oscars:
1940
1964
1973
1982
1986
1988
1990
1996
2002
2014
2015

If you want to know more about Hollywood & its racism through the years, this book is for you. Eye-opening, educational, and emotional.

#OscarsSoWhite

Factually informative dense read. It spans a cinematic history from actors in blackface to the inroads BIPOC actors have made. Still more work to be done.Distracting font though as at times in bold abruptly and large. This interrupted the flow of the read and bit distracting.

This ARC was made available for by the publisher, Octupius Publsihing, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Most of the book had information that I already knew or have amassed through reading other books and watching documentaries about the history of Black Hollywood. However, I would still recommend this for someone who is hoping to learn more about that history and why so much discrimination and stereotypical images persist in the industry. There is also a big focus on the Oscars and recent events, so this isn’t going to feel dated when it is released next year.

This was a eye-opening experience, it had that fact element that I was looking for and was engaged with the historical element of this. It really brought a new perspective and was written so well and made a lot of great points. I appreciated Ben Arogundade sharing this with the reader.