and black women as high-strung, and hot-bodied. Washington and Berry recognized the problems with their roles, but in interviews in the New York Times and the trades, bristled at the notion that they were pandering to these stereotypes.
             In candid moments, some film industry executives admit Hollywood's disgraceful racial past but say that the industry is doing much to make amends for it. And, there have been some positive changes. More black male actors than ever have made a huge splash on the screen in non-racially stereotypical roles. They have strong box office appeal, and are generally accepted by much of the film going public. In 1999, the Directors Guild of America struck the name of filmmaker D.W. Griffith from its annual award to its top film director. Griffith was dumped for making the grotesque, racially slanderous film, Birth of a Nation in 1915 that played a colossal part in poisoning racial attitudes toward blacks for much of the 20th century.
             These are welcome steps by the film industry. But they don't negate Hollywood's refusal to create more opportunities for blacks. It's not a matter of begging Hollywood to open wider its racial doors. It's a matter of dollars. In the four decades since Poitier copped the top award, the black movie going audience has soared. Blacks purchase an estimated one-fourth of all movie tickets in the United States and have helped shore-up the at times sagging box office take for the film industry.
             It took the threats of advertiser boycotts, demonstrations, and stockholder challenges by black activists to get TV executives to at least make a paper promise to hire and promote more minorities on and off screen. But film executives refuse to make any such promise. They say time, talent, and perseverance will bring racial diversity to their industry. They, of course, said the same thing in 1963, 1973, and throughout the 1990s, when blacks were nominated, and even won, awards. But the promis...