Community Essay : Why Oscar’s Not Ready for Its Closeup : Hollywood: A few figureheads don’t make up for the dearth of minorities in entertainment.

The entertainment industry is one of America’s and California’s top exports. The Hollywood sign draws millions of tourism dollars to our local economy, not to mention the thousands who come here in search of fortune and fame. Yet only one of the 166 nominees at Monday’s Academy Awards is African American. Fewer than 200--or 3.9%--of the 5,043 academy members who nominate and choose Oscar winners are black. Only 2.3% of the Directors Guild membership is black. A mere 2.6% of the Writers Guild is African American. Blacks account for less than 2% of the 4,000-member union of set decorators and property masters. For other minorities, the numbers are equally disgraceful.

Those who collectively make up the entertainment industry are engaging in economic apartheid. Each year, studies are done, statistics are collected, commitments are made to diversify and ultimately, promises are broken. Latinos are fighting to get material “green-lighted.” Asians, Native Americans and others have similar gripes. But what’s particularly interesting about the African American experience is that film and to a lesser extent television have become our last bastions of injustice.

The playing field is most level in sports. While team or franchise ownership still eludes African Americans, talent is rewarded and compensated. Who would dare say to Deion Sanders that he doesn’t run or hit “black enough?” How could you justify adding a white player to an Olympic basketball team simply because the representation is “too black?” Whether it’s Mike Tyson or Michael Jordan, athletes are afforded the opportunity to get paid based on objective standards of performance. The result: increased revenues, more jobs, fan participation and an international fascination with American culture.

African Americans also are some the biggest names in the music industry: Michael and Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Seal, TLC, Boyz II Men. Any commercial soundtrack worth its vinyl inevitably will showcase classic Motown tunes, love songs by Babyface or hiphop and rap. The result: increased revenue, more jobs, fan admiration and an international preoccupation with American culture.

In the business of show and tell, however, the game being played is still hide and seek. It’s no wonder that publications like Newsweek, Jet, Vanity Fair and People are starting to draw attention to the movie industry’s dirty little secret. Perhaps with all the talk about dismantling affirmative action, people are beginning to realize the lack of action in this multibillion-dollar industry. The subjective standards of talent, product and commercialism have in fact become smokescreens for power brokers who have no intention of creating true diversity in a self-regulated industry. The result: less revenue, fewer jobs, fan stagnation and international trepidation about American culture.

Instead of feeling smug about Whoopi Goldberg and Quincy Jones having big roles in the Academy Awards program, the issue of discrimination based on race should make everyone feel uncomfortable. And while Jesse Jackson’s involvement and method of drawing attention to this embarrassment can be debated, the message is as clear as the image of separate water fountains, fire hoses, police attack dogs or treating a segment of society as if it is invisible. The message is: whites only.

This isn’t about a guilt trip. With emerging superstars and savvy professionals, African Americans are beginning to knock down these barriers, establish a niche and create their own events such as the NAACP Image Awards. With Latinos recently hosting their own successful awards show as well, we are seeing groups thrive not because of the industry, but in spite of it.

But the questions remain. Can Hollywood, on its own, learn some basic tenets of equity without government regulation? Can deal makers ever be taught to appreciate the gifts being offered by minorities? Can we work collectively and find strength in our differences? It’s time every facet of the industry answers these questions. Real opportunities for everyone, regardless of race, must be the vision for the future. While we revel in the splendor of Oscar, we know that everyone is not invited to the party. Fairness demands that Hollywood come out of preproduction and start this camera rolling.