Selma Director Ava DuVernay Reacts to Hollywood's Diversity Issue, Says "Inclusion" Is a Better Word for the Problem

She was snubbed at last year's Academy Awards

The lack of diversity at the 2016 Academy Awards certainly hasn't gone unnoticed, with many stars speaking out or choosing to avoid Hollywood's biggest night. But Selma director Ava DuVernay, who was snubbed from last year's Oscars despite the movie's critical acclaim, told a crowd during the Sundance Film Festrival the word "diversity" is incorrect.

"We're hearing a lot about diversity," she said, per the New York Times. "I hate that word so, so much."

Why would she hate the word that has taken Hollywood by storm since #OscarsSoWhite became a trend? Because she feels that diversity isn't the issue; there's another problem, and it's better described by the words "inclusion" or "belonging."

"I feel [diversity] is a medicinal word that has no emotional resonance, and this is a really emotional issue," she said. "It's emotional for artists who are women and people of color to have less value placed on our worldview."

She added, "There's a belonging problem in Hollywood. Who dictates who belongs? The very body who dictates that looks all one way."

The Academy, who has faced fierce criticism since the nominations were announced, revealed last week that it was making serious changes to its membership and doing away with guaranteed voting rights for life. DuVernay lauded the decision.

"Change has to happen, it has to happen with the people who dictate who belongs," she said. "It's disconcerting to hear people say that shouldn't change. That's the very reason it should." 

Spike Lee recently said that he is going to a New York Knicks basketball game over attending the Oscars, but emphasized he wasn't calling it a "boycott." He told E! News' Marc Malkin that he still won't go despite The Academy's overhaul plan but was happy to hear about it.

"People have to understand it's not going to happen overnight, but I think the changes that [Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs] implemented with the board of governors, it's going to have an impact," Lee said.

"The change [Isaacs] is going is good, but it's not going to change what happened the second year in a row," he added, referring to all of the acting nominees being white.