Academy president responds to #OscarsSoWhite criticism and says 'big changes' are coming

In the wake of a second consecutive year with zero minorities among the acting nominees for the Academy Awards, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, issued a statement on Monday via Twitter addressing the matter and saying that there needs to be a change in the members who vote.

“I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion,” Isaacs said in her statement. “The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership.”

Isaacs said that in the coming days and weeks, the Academy would conduct a review of its recruitment in order to bring “much-needed diversity” to next year’s membership class and beyond.

Here’s the full statement that was tweeted:

Following the 2016 Oscar nominations announcement last week, the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag, which got a lot of attention last year, became a trending topic again on social media.

Even this year’s Oscars host, Chris Rock, couldn’t help but tweet about it:

And celebrities like Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett Smith have taken it further by stating that they will be boycotting this year's ceremony. 

“This isn't unprecedented for the Academy,” Isaacs wrote in her statement. “In the '60s and '70s it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant. In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community...”

The Oscars air on ABC on February 28.

SEE ALSO: Christian Slater says starring in "Mr. Robot" has made him paranoid about the internet

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: You can finally play original 'Rock Band' on PlayStation 4