Will Packer Pens Passionate Open Letter to The Academy About Lack of Diversity: 'This is Embarrassing'

Producer Will Packer isn’t biting his tongue for anyone about the lack of diversity in the Oscar nominations this year. In fact, he’s calling out the Academy and other Hollywood influencers.

In a lengthy Facebook post published on Friday, Packer takes on his Academy colleagues urging them “to do better.”

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Throughout the post, Packer insists that everyone involved in the multi-million dollar film industry “continue to push Hollywood to create opportunities for these films.” By “these films”, Packer is referring to films like Straight Outta Compton, which, despite record-breaking numbers in the box office, only managed to garner a single nod from The Academy.

“The reason the rest of the world looks at us like we have no clue is because in 2016 it’s a complete embarrassment to say that the heights of cinematic achievement have only been reached by white people. I repeat—it’s embarrassing,” Packer wrote.

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“It’s unfair to the performers of color who sacrificed so much, laid it all on the line AND DELIVERED with their projects this year. It’s also unfair to the white actors, writers, producers and directors who gave everything they had to create career defining content only to have it marred by the fact that a lack of diversity calls into question the legitimacy of The Academy’s choices.”

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Though the Straight Outta Compton and Think Like A Man producer is highly critical of The Academy, he does applaud the likes of Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs for her recent attempts to bring more diversity to The Academy.

“WE must do better. We will. And make no mistake, we have. Even in the midst of this year’s disappointing results I am emboldened by the fact that we had new and exciting diverse voices and performers along with tried and true veterans that were at least in the conversation.”