President Obama weighs in on the ‘White Oscars’ nominations controversy

President Barack Obama weighed in on the
Oscar nominations controversy for the first time
in an exclusive one-on-one interview with
ABC7's David Ono.
The President invited Ono to
meet in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the
White House on Wednesday. The conversation
turned to diversity in the film industry after the
second straight year of all-white acting
nominations for the Oscars by the Academy.
Obama has often spoken about pushing the
country towards a better understanding of its
differences with a theme of tolerance and
inclusion. It's the same theme Hollywood is
grappling with in regards to the Oscars.
"I think that California is an example of the
incredible diversity of this country. That's a
strength," Obama said. "I think that when
everybody's story is told, then that makes for
better art, it makes for better entertainment, it
makes everybody feel part of one American
family."