Cyrus Langhorne
Transgender actress Alexis Arquette has come forward to speak out on the controversy Hollywood diva Jada Pinkett Smith has created over the Academy Awards’ lacking diversity in its nominees this year.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Arquette bashed Jada and her blockbuster husband Will Smith over wanting to boycott the awards ceremony.
The Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs issued a statement revealing her frustration Monday (January 18) and promised a change would come.
“I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s nominees. While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion,” she said in statement issued Monday evening. “This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes. The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership. In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.” (NY Daily News)
Movie director Spike Lee dished out his frustrations with the Oscars going with all-white nominees this awards season Monday (January 18).
Jada spoke out against the Academy Awards by saying they had overlooked people of color in Hollywood films this week.
“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.
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.
WOW you guys really posted this…..smh
I wonder if we’d be hearing from Jada if Will had gotten nominated? Don’t try to act as if you and your husband don’t know the rules to the game you’re playing. You guys better chill before they Bill Cosby your arse. Whining about a got damn Oscar nomination when there are way more pressing issues facing the black community not only here in the US but Globally.
WOW you guys really posted this…..smh
I wonder if we’d be hearing from Jada if Will had gotten nominated? Don’t try to act as if you and your husband don’t know the rules to the game you’re playing. You guys better chill before they Bill Cosby your arse. Whining about a got damn Oscar nomination when there are way more pressing issues facing the black community not only here in the US but Globally.