ACTRESS JADA PINKETT SMITH TAKES TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO SUGGEST BOYCOTT OF OSCARS

Jada Pinkett Smith courtesy of Twitter

Photograph courtesy of Facebook

Longtime actress and wife of actor Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, took to her Twitter page to blast the lack of diversity in this year’s 88th Annual Academy Awards.

“At the Oscars…people of color are always welcomed to give out awards…even entertain,” the actress tweeted Saturday. “But we are rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together? People can only treat us in the way in which we allow. With much respect in the midst of deep disappointment.”

Jada is only one out of many who took to social media to express disappointment and outrage over what some are deeming as ‘the deliberate and institutional bias against people of color.’

“They’ll nominate us for ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ or portraying a crooked cop or black whore having sex with a white man,” one woman posted on Twitter, “but not for portraying doctors or leaders.”

This is the second year in a row that Black talent has been snubbed by the Oscars, which has stirred protests from Black communities around the country. But various minority groups and the public consider this year’s lack of acknowledgement far worse than last year’s.

“At least we got nominated last year,” one woman tweeted, referring to Selma, which earned two nominations.

Many on Twitter’s #OscarsSoWhite found it disturbing that the financially successful Straight Outta Compton and thought-provoking Spike Lee film, Chi-raq didn’t get a nod from the Oscars. But Comedian and Radio Host, DL Hughly, said on his afternoon radio show, “This shouldn’t come as a surprise to Black people. This is nothing new with Hollywood.”

The 88th all-white Academy Awards Oscars premieres Feb. 28. 

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