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ABC/A.M.P.A.SIce Cube and Mary J. Blige are among the artists who have been invited to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Academy membership means you get to vote on who wins the Academy Awards each year.
The lack of diversity among nominees earlier this year spawned the #OscarsSoWhite campaign. On Wednesday, the organization extended 683 membership invitations to musicians, actors, filmmakers and executives alike. Of that group, 41 percent are people of color and 46 percent are female.
Will.i.am and Raphael Saadiq are also among the new invites.
Ice Cube is the only artist in this list invited into the Academy as an actor.
According to the Academy’s website, the percentage of minority talent rose from 8 percent to 11 percent, and the percentage of women climbed from 25 percent to 27 percent.
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