Ever since I started working at The Conversation, I’ve seen the same stories crop up every awards season: The Oscars are too white. The Academy is too staid, too old, too out of touch.

But Timeka N. Tounsel, a Black studies scholar at the University of Washington, thinks it does a disservice to the very real advances made by Black filmmakers and actors to focus so intently on the major awards.

After delving into the history of Black exclusion and denigration in Hollywood, she explains how a separate filmmaking infrastructure emerged in the 20th century – movies made by Black people, for Black people.

Now, unburdened by the shackles of Hollywood gatekeepers and the pressure of mass appeal, Black films have thrived in the streaming era, broadening the types of Black stories beaming into living rooms across the world. She points to two Black films from the past year – “Master” and “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul” – that won’t appear on any awards list, but are worth watching.

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