Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton has weighed in on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, saying in a recent interview that the recent rule changes implemented at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to promote diversity were “overdue.”
“I think it is overdue, but the Academy announced that they are going to be making some changes as they should,” Hillary Clinton told AOL.com during a campaign stop in Iowa.
On Friday, the Academy Board of Governors approved a dramatic overhaul of its voting rules and organizational structure in an effort to increase diversity both within the Academy and at the Academy Awards. The move came after Academy members nominated exclusively white actors in top acting categories at the Oscars for a second consecutive year.
While some, like Selma director Ava DuVernay, praised the rule changes, many longtime Academy members see the initiative as an overt effort to purge older, white members of their voting privileges while aggressively recruiting new, more diverse, members.
“Just think of the great films that not only display the diversity of America, but the diversity of the human experience,” Clinton said. “The Academy has to catch up with our reality.”
“I’m encouraging them, as I know so many others are, to really move as quickly as they can to make those changes,” Clinton added.
The 88th Academy Awards will air Sunday, February 28 on ABC.