Film Director Spike Lee has always maintained that Hollywood hasn't done enough to embrace the black filmmaking community, and as the Oscar announcements get closer, there is a sense of no change .

When Denzel Washington and Halle Berry won the Oscars in 2002, it was a historical moment, which gave African American actors the recognition they deserved. As the black filmmaking community plays a larger part in the overall entertainment industry, it seems surprising that so few Black entertainers ever get nominated, or recogniqed to the extent of their counterparts.

Spike Lee "I remember a couple years ago, when three or four black people won, Halle won an Academy Award, Denzel won and Sidney Poitier won a career achievement award and people were saying, like, 'Oh, this is a new dawn. Nothing happened, you know. People looking at superficial things trying to think there's great movement that happened. And it hasn't happened." Winnipeg

The acclaimed film director is well respected by independent and mainstream circles despite being vocal about issues in the film industry. However there are economic and social factors in recent memory that have made it harder for minority communities to get the same opportunity as before. The 2008 recession has affected the film industry in ways which have forced many out of the business.

Spike Lee vision

Spike Lee's masterful Malcom X is one of the many stories the director has brought to cinemas, and made powerful. His directorial vision provokes and inspires audiences, and while not everyone may agree with his views on Hollywood's racial landscape, there is hope that cultural diversity from all colours and religions can get recognized.

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