Following last year’s #OscarsSoWhite brouhaha, Hollywood is once again embroiled in racial controversy, with several high-profile black filmmakers planning to boycott this year’s Academy Awards due to a lack of diversity among the nominees. Jada Pinkett-Smith has suggested she and her husband Will Smith won’t be there (Smith was expected to be nominated for Concussion: he wasn’t). All of this year’s nominated actors are white (host Chris Rock refers to the Oscars as “the white BET Awards“).
Spike Lee has announced via Instagram that he will not be attending the ceremony on February 21st. “Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy,” Lee wrote. “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!!” Lee’s post accompanied a photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. Lee’s boycott is notable because he is in fact an honoree at this year’s awards, having been presented with an Honorary Oscar for his life’s work in November.
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