Video: Jada Pinkett Smith Confirms Her Boycott of The Oscars

Jada Pinkett Smith took to her Facebook page, on a day that we celebrate Martin Luther King who gave his life fighting for the equal rights of all people. Pinkett has obviously had enough, and she eloquently took to her social media account to confirm that she will be boycotting The Oscars this year. After another backlash of the #OscarsSoWhite trended on twitter again this year, the actress along with Spike Lee have taken a stand to let the Academy know that black people are not going to beg them for their acknowledgment any longer.

In her video, Jada stated,

“Maybe it is time we pull back our resources and we put them back into our communities, into our programs, and we make programs for ourselves that acknowledge us in ways that we see fit, that are just as good as the so-called mainstream,” she suggested.

Smith added that begging for acknowledgment is an “undignified act and that communities of color should not stoop to that level.”

“We are a dignified people and we are powerful — let’s not forget it,” she said. “So let’s let the Academy do them with all grace and love and let’s do us differently.”

Spike Lee has also confirmed through Instagram that he and his wife would not attend the show. Though he expressed his gratitude for the honorary Oscar he received last November, Lee took the Academy to task for the lack of diversity among this year’s nominees.

#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. (Cont’d)

A photo posted by Spike Lee (@officialspikelee) on Jan 18, 2016 at 5:03am PST

“#OscarsSoWhite… Again,” his post opened, in a direct reference to the again-trending hashtag, which was launched last year by Twitter user @ReignOfApril after actors of color were shut out of acting nominations.

Jada posed a question in her video that all people of color should take some time to ponder on in their own lives:
“Have we now come to new time and place where we recognize that we can no longer beg for the love, acknowledgement or respect, of ANY group; that maybe it’s time that we recognize that if we love, respect and acknowledge ourselves in the way in which we are asking others to do – that THAT is the place of true power.”

So eloquent, so classy; hopefully this year we will be watching Concussion while the Oscars are on.