Spike Lee Isn’t Attending The Oscars: “How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White?”

Written By Cyrus Langhorne

1.7k Views 2 Comments

Hollywood director Spike Lee has joined actress Jada Pinkett Smith by announcing he will not attend next month’s Academy Awards.

Lee dished out his frustrations with the Oscars going with all-white nominees this awards season Monday (January 18).

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Pinkett spoke out against the Academy Awards had overlooked people of color in Hollywood films.

“Hi, today is Martin Luther King’s birthday and I cannot help but ask the question, is it time that people of color recognize how much power influence we have amassed that we no longer need to ask to be invited anywhere. I ask the question, have we now come to a new time and place where we recognize that we can no longer beg for the love, acknowledgement or respect of any group – I’m simply asking a question. Here’s what I believe. The Academy has the right to acknowledge whomever they choose, to invite whomever they choose and now I think it’s our responsibility now to make the change. Maybe it’s time we pull back our resources and put them back into our communities and into our programs and we make programs for ourselves that acknowledge us in ways we see fit that are just as good as the so-called ‘mainstream’ ones. I don’t know. Here’s what I’d do. Begging for acknowledgement and asking diminishes dignity and diminishes power and we are a dignified people and powerful. Let’s not forget it. So, let’s let the Academy do them, with all grace and love, and let’s do us differently. I got nothing but love. And [host] Chris [Rock], I will not be at the Academy Awards and I won’t be watching, but I can’t think of a better man to do the job at hand this year than you my friend. Good luck. And to the rest of you, nothing but love, always.” (Facebook)

We must stand in our power!

We must stand in our power.

Posted by Jada Pinkett Smith on Monday, January 18, 2016

Smith went on a mini-Twitter tirade this past weekend and expressed an interest in possibly falling back on attending the yearly Oscars.

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A few days ago, rapper/actor Ice Cube talked about his Straight Outta Compton box office smash not receiving a Best Picture nomination this week.

“I’m not pissed. I’m not surprised. It’s the Oscars, they do what they do,” Cube said. “The people loved the movie, the people supported the movie, it was No. 1 at the box office, over $200 million worldwide. I can’t be mad, you know.” (“Wendy Williams”)

2 Comments

Written by Cyrus Langhorne

SOHH.com Writer. You're likely to find me covering hip-hop news and music releases. Netflix is still my go-to before Disney Plus.

2 Comments

  1. This muthafucka just mad cause his last movie was fucking horrible. And lol @ gim thinking they give two shits if he goes or not. Quit fucking whining Spike.

  2. This muthafucka just mad cause his last movie was fucking horrible. And lol @ gim thinking they give two shits if he goes or not. Quit fucking whining Spike.

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