When Matthew A. Cherry won an Academy Award for the animated short film “Hair Love” earlier this year, he garnered attention for both his tribute to Kobe Bryant, who was a previous recipient of the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film and who died days before the ceremony, and his loving representation of African-American fathers and portrayal of Black hair.
“‘Hair Love’ was done because we wanted to see more representation in animation,” Cherry said during his acceptance speech.
In an interview after his victory, Cherry credited Streetlights, a nonprofit that trains ethnic minorities from disadvantaged communities to create diversity in the entertainment industry.