#OscarsSoWhite: These Are the African Artists Invited to Join the Academy This Year

The Academy just released a record 928 invitations to new academy members this week, which included some African actors and filmmakers from the continent and diaspora.

It's no secret that the academy is whiter than ever, and over the last couple of years the Academy has come under fire for its lack of diversity and inclusion of marginalized communities in movements like #OscarsSoWhite in 2014.

On Monday, the Academy put out 928 invitations to a list of new academy members, raising the number of invitees to include more women, people of color, and international film makers. Women make up 49 percent of the new list, which will shift the number of women to 31 percent of the overall academy. People of color make up 38 percent of the new members, which brings the overall number to just 16 percent. The new members all together represent 59 countries.

The list included some African artists from the continent and the diaspora in various categories like actors, directors, visual effects, documentary, short film and feature, and executives. The artists were Danai Gurira, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Daniel Kaluuya, Waniru Kahiu, Femi Odugbemi, Tendeka Matatu, Ngozi Onwurah, Yvonne Muinde, Wunmi Mosako.

The Academy included actors involved in large blockbuster films like "Black Panther" and "Get Out," but the list also included other filmmakers like Kenya's Kahiu whose film "Rafiki" was banned in Kenya but still received positive responses this year.

Some members have started accepting their invitations especially on Twitter, but even if no members decline their invitation the Academy still has a long way to go when it comes to diversity.

You can read the full list of invitees here.