In a new video posted to Facebook, Jada Pinkett-Smith confirms she is indeed boycotting the Oscar Awards and she feels its time for black people to place all their support in awards show that celebrate black people in the arts.
She says:
“Today is Martin Luther King’s birthday and I can’t help but ask the question, ‘Is it time that people of color recognize how much power and influence we have amassed, that we no longer have to ask to be invited anywhere?
“Maybe it’s time we recognize that if we love, respect, and acknowledge ourselves in the way in which we are asking others to do… that is the place of true power.
“The Academy has the right to acknowledge whomever they choose; to invite whomever they choose; And now I think that it’s our responsibility to make the change.”
She concludes:
“Begging for acknowledgment, or even asking, diminishes dignity and diminishes power… Let’s let the Academy do them, with all grace and love, and let’s do us differently. I’ve got nothing but love.”
Check out the video below:
[mfb_pe url=”https://www.facebook.com/jada/videos/10153983404106320/” mbottom=”50″]
In related news, Spike Lee has joined in on the boycott. He penned the following open letter on his official Instagram account:
#OscarsSoWhite… Again.
I Would Like To Thank President Cheryl Boone Isaacs And The Board Of Governors Of The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences For Awarding Me an Honorary Oscar This Past November. I Am Most Appreciative. However My Wife, Mrs. Tonya Lewis Lee And I Will Not Be Attending The Oscar Ceremony This Coming February. We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy. But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White? And Let’s Not Even Get Into The Other Branches. 40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All. We Can’t Act?! WTF!! It’s No Coincidence I’m Writing This As We Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday. Dr. King Said “There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It’s Right”. For Too Many Years When The Oscars Nominations Are Revealed, My Office Phone Rings Off The Hook With The Media Asking Me My Opinion About The Lack Of African-Americans And This Year Was No Different. For Once, (Maybe) I Would Like The Media To Ask All The White Nominees And Studio Heads How They Feel About Another All White Ballot. If Someone Has Addressed This And I Missed It Then I Stand Mistaken.
As I See It, The Academy Awards Is Not Where The “Real” Battle Is. It’s In The Executive Office Of The Hollywood Studios And TV And Cable Networks. This Is Where The Gate Keepers Decide What Gets Made And What Gets Jettisoned To “Turnaround” Or Scrap Heap. This Is What’s Important. The Gate Keepers. Those With “The Green Light” Vote. As The Great Actor Leslie Odom Jr. Sings And Dances In The Game Changing Broadway Musical HAMILTON, “I WANNA BE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS”. People, The Truth Is We Ain’t In Those Rooms And Until Minorities Are, The Oscar Nominees Will Remain Lilly White.
I wonder which black celeb will be next…
A lot more I hope. This boycott should have happened a long time go.
Girl don’t hold your breath. We got too many uncle toms in the business. They ain’t gonna say nothing. Spike always been a real one though.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they end up being the only two who say anything. Too many people are afraid. And that’s why we won’t have any real change.
I honestly never thought we would see Baltimore Jada again. Her motives may be selfish but I’m glad to see black celebs taking a stand. I hope more follow suit.
White people are so mad about this. LOL.
Sh-t they can stay mad. They want black folks to sit down and shut the f-ck up while they continue to f-ck us over. And had we done that, we wouldn’t be celebrating MLK today. But we need to stop wanting them to include us in their bullsh-t. An NAACP Image Award should mean as much as an Oscar to black actors.
So are a lot of black people. They think Jada is just doing this for Will.
Jada wouldn’t be doing this if Will got a nomination. I’m sleep tho.
Meh. It’s bigger than a lack of nominations, because even when there are Blacks nominated they rarely ever win. I agree that we shouldn’t care about being included and focus more on celebrating ourselves. I just wish there was some form of recognition made by us that meant just as much as an Academy award, Grammy, etc., because in addition to ratings, this stuff does mean a lot to people who have worked for this their entire lives. It’s disgusting that we’re even still having to talk about blatant discrimination.
Gotta love Spike Lee.
This isn’t for any of you but I need to vent. I really don’t understand black people sometimes. A lot of us are to here dragging Will and Jada saying they wouldn’t be boycotting the Oscars if Will got nominated. And I’m like why the hell does that even matter. You can go back in history and see a lot of our activists didn’t get involved in causes until an injustice directly affected them. That’s human nature. A recent example is Trayvon Martin’s mother. Was she out here speaking out against racism and injustice against young black boys before her son was killed? No! But that doesn’t make any work she’s doing out here less important. Human nature is most of us don’t care about causes usually until it’s really affected us some kind of way. So people need to get over themselves.
Makes me think of a quote I heard a long time ago. “It doesn’t affect you unless it effects you.”
Well , I can tell you ladies this..Kevin Hart , Lee Daniels , Oprah , Tae Diggs , and Don Lemon , certainly won’t be joining this boycott .Oprah is highly worshipped by the majority , Lee is a super caricatures creator , Kevin is the ultimate PC azz wiper ,Tae is head deep in white washed Lillies , and Don is self explanatory and the fruitiest white, black Judy thus far ,and the rest are supper coonish with no black pride stance . I’m telling you , Bernie Sanders would support this before many blacks , and Hillary would hop on after Bernie for cool points .# OUR AMERICA
Times like this certainly make me long for Tupac’s impact..Like an other threat to the Oppression , he could not reach his full potential .He could have done so much with growth , pull and influence he had on the Massess..Sigh RIP PACPAC<3<3<3<3
IMO I don’t even see why she’s mad. This sh*t aint nothing new about how they run the Oscars and she knows it. Oscars been white since forever and black people only get Oscars for demeaning, stereotypical roles, never the positive ones and when most black people win it becomes a wrap for their careers, Halle even said so, so why give a sh*t about “their” trophy anyway. Most black actors and actresses won’t say anything because it’s hard for them getting work as is and Jada knows this too. This racial shi*t about how they run the Oscars aint changed since Hattie McDaniel won it, and it aint going to now so why even bother. They running the Oscars just like they doing the Grammys now. Blacks can’t even get nominated for “our” music categories anymore as it’s been completely whitewashed so eff these people and their awards. When you know who you are, you don’t need anyone’s accolades or awards to validate you.
Oh Jada please. Where was all her pro-black talk when she was ranting all lives mattered and all girls rocked not too long ago. Have several seats mama!
Bump boycotting the Oscars..boycott the movies.. We talk about this every year around this time and then it fades into the distance..that white panel don’t care..but they will if you affect their pockets.. 49% of African Americans make up movie ticket sales..and if that 49% don’t go to the movies or atleast only watch a movie that has diversity I guarantee you will see a change come next oscar or any award season.