Academy Elects First Black, Female President: 'This Was Major, and I Know It'

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Cheryl Boone Isaacs is only the third woman to be elected to the position.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs knows that she will be judged in the long run more on the work she does than the barriers she's broken.

But at the same time, she told TheWrap on Wednesday, she recognizes that her election – which made her the first African-American president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and only the third woman – was a significant moment for the Academy.

“It’s major,” she said. “I know that, and you know that. To be given this trust is quite a big deal. It’s an honor, it's a privilege, and I hope it’s inspirational for people the way others have been an inspiration for me.”