Oscar nominees, people of color, affirmative action, quality acting - Do you think this is institutionalized racism?

I’ve been reading the various news stories (and some of the entertainment rags). The major issue is that all of the top nominees for the most prestigious awards are caucasian – no blacks, Mexicans, Asians, Indians, or anything else non-white.

Various black actors and film luminaries threaten to boycott the ceremonies. George Clooney says “we can do better”.

But better at what?

All of the people who voted did so after, presumably, watching the movies and making a choice. Is the working theory that there is some vast white conspiracy to not vote for people of color in 2016?

Voting and making awards in the arts is inherently subjective—you like a movie, or you like an actor—or you don’t.

Should members of the Academy vote for a black actor – because he/she is black – even if the Academy viewer didn’t like the acting or the movie—simply because the actor is non-white?

Should one’s vote be ‘politically correct’ even if it doesn’t reflect the voter’s heartfelt opinion?

If so – would that be tokenism? Voting based on the color of the actor’s skin, and not on the quality of their work?

I don’t have a solid opinion. I’m trying to understand the different nuances and motivations.