Kendra Brown
MC Contributor/Staff Writer
When the Oscar nominations came out this year, for the second year in a row, the only ethnicity that was represented was Caucasian.
This year, fewer people might be watching due to celebrities like, Jada Pinkett Smith saying she will not only be there, but not watching the Academy Awards because of the lack of diversity in this year’s nominees.
Actors such as Will Smith, directors like Spike Lee, and many others spoke out about the recent nominations.
“Talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t,” said Idris Elba to ABC News Nightline. Many thought Elba deserved an Oscar nomination for his role in “Beast of No Nation”.
“I think African-Americans have a real fair point that the industry isn’t representing them well enough,” George Clooney said to Nightline after the Oscar nominations were revealed.
Director Spike Lee said to Nightline, “You know every ten years we get lucky, and then when someone of color wins, we say Hollywood has finally turned around. Look how much we’ve made progress. Then it’s another drop for ten years.”
Then there is the controversy of Jada Pinkett Smith only speaking out about the Oscar nominations because her husband, Will Smith, was not nominated for his role in “Concussion”.
Stacey Dash said in a Fox News interview,” I think it’s ludicrous because we have to make up our minds. Either we want segregation or integration, and if we don’t want segregation, we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Award. If it were the other way around, we’d be up in arms. It’s a double standard.”
Although diversity was not shown in the nominations, Chris Rock will be hosting this year’s ceremony.
“I can’t think of a better man to do the job at hand this year than you my friend. Good luck,” Jada Pinkett Smith said in the video she released.
Kenya Johnson, a sophomore biology/pre-medicine major from Pine Bluff, Ark. said,” I support our people no matter what, and I feel like it is already a hard situation for Chris Rock. We should support Chris Rock, but I do agree with boycotting the Oscars because I saw a lot of good movies last year and it amazes me that they didn’t think that not one of the movies with a black actor or actress deserved to be nominated.”
Keleigh Williams, a junior psychology major from Sierra Vista, Arizona weighed in her thoughts about the Oscars
“I feel the Oscar boycott is important because black actors are setting an example saying we don’t get recognized enough. And I feel that they don’t. There are plenty of black actors who don’t get awards or nominated that deserve to be, and I think they are making a good statement by speaking up about it,” said Williams.
The 88th Academy Awards will air February 28 on ABC.
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