Hundreds of people joined the movement to shine a brighter light on the glaring need for diversity in Hollywood during the Oscar telecast last night.
They used the hashtag #Tokens and shared the three minute video of the same name which called for more meaningful and high profile roles for actors of color on the big screen.
The film from Benjamin To and THE BAND WITH NO NAME film company was viewed nearly 2,000 times on You Tube. Its not too late to share the video as its message is as relevant today and it was yesterday.
On Facebook, To wrote:
Thank you to the hundreds of souls out there who made this dream movement a reality. The ones who shared, hashtagged, and re-tweeted, you all contributed to a very personal and important cause. On a macro level, we may have only made a small dent in the system, but nevertheless our voices were heard and that is a victory in and of itself. If you see something wrong and you never speak up to right that wrong, then it will always stay wrong. I am overjoyed to see people coming out together in droves to express similar sentiments of anger, confusion, and frustration. And while in that negative state of emotion, we were able to find comfort and understanding within each other. To know that I am not alone, makes this long and treacherous quest that much more bearable.
To our loyal cast & crew who never gave up on me and my wild ideas. Some work and some don’t, but at least we never stopped trying. To everyone back home in Portland, the city and the people who’ve taught me humility as a child, you will always be my foundation. To my mother and my brother, we’ve lost so much this past decade, which makes this moment incredibly gratifying as we continue to heal and move forward together in honoring our family name.
As we celebrate tonight, remember that there is still work to be done. Let’s not stop while we have momentum on our side. This is not an Asian, Black, White, Latino, Muslim, or Native American issue; this is an American issue. Once we discover the ability to put aside our superficial assumptions about each other and come together to celebrate the beauty behind why we’re all so different, then we will leave this Earth a better place for future generations. It’s a new year, folks, and we deserve a new & kinder society. I will always put people above beliefs, so as long as we’re fighting this together, I will never stop fighting for you.
This is for us.
– Ben
Here are just some of the people who shared the video or its message.
P-O-W-E-R-F-U-L! @AsAmNews Asian American Filmmakers Message to the #Oscars—#Tokens http://t.co/o632CkMRhP
— Gail Zoppo (@Zapwoman) February 23, 2015
RT @benjitoes: @BostonAAFilm Stand with us & speak up for more diversity in film. #Tokens #Oscars http://t.co/bdjY8iIId8
— Boston AA Film Fest (@BostonAAFilm) February 23, 2015
"@allDigitocracy: Don't support tokenism in #Hollywood. Pls share. #diversitymatters http://t.co/R6a25nHa0L" #Tokens #Oscars2015
— P. Mimi Poinsett MD (@yayayarndiva) February 23, 2015
