I’ll share one of the stories about why she’s so well known. In 1973 Marlon Brando won for his role in the Godfather. He decided, in an act of defiance, to refuse the Oscar. And asked Sacheen Littlefeather to go up there and refuse it for him as a protest against how Hollywood treats and portrays Native Americans and Indigenous folks.
This is a classic example of a “well-intentioned” white person having a negative racist impact on a BIPOC person. When Brando’s Oscar was announced Littlefeather went up and made a speech talking about how he was not accepting it because he was protesting Native American portrayals in Hollywood. Some people clapped, and some people booed.
And after that, she was ostracized from Hollywood roles.
50 years later, the Academy finally apologized. And that was just 2 months ago. She said when she got the apology that she never thought she would live to see the day. She just managed to, but it was definitely way too late.
Marlon Brando’s intentions caused decades and a lifetime of harm. His gesture, no matter the intention, ended up being really racist.
And I want people to really think about that. There’s way more work that you have to do than just giving someone a platform, and putting them in a position as CEO. Way more work. Otherwise, you are doing more harm than good.
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