The 88th Academy Awards has embraced the #oscarssowhite controversy head on, from host Chris Rock‘s opening monologue to a humorous montage of black actors appearing in several Oscar-nominated films, to Chris Rock’s return from a commercial break: “Ah, we’re black.” And then this: A live cameo from Fox News contributor Stacey Dash
“The Academy has taken steps to fix this problem,” joked Rock “That’s why it is my honor to introduce the new director of our minority outreach program. Please welcome Miss Stacey Dash.”
“I cannot wait to help my people out. Happy Black History month!” she said in a short on-stage appearance.
Dash has gotten a fair amount of criticism from the black community over her position on many issues important to African Americans.
“When they added ME to increase the diversity, I’m sure many black people rolled their eyes,” Dash wrote in a blog post published just after her appearance. “I’m not ‘black enough,’ they say. But guess what? I’ve heard that all my life. I would rather be a free thinking, black than a cookie cutter black who thinks – and votes – just like all my friends.”
Fox News did not know Dash was going to be a part of the show.