Jada Pinkett Smith talks about this year’s “beautiful” Oscar nominations after boycotting last year’s show
We’re sure by now you’ve heard that the 2017 Oscar nominations are out and that there is a noticeable improvement in the diversity department. YAY. But, to be real, just about anything would have been better than last year’s nomination list which was so ridiculously racially homogenous that #OscarsSoWhite became a thing. So, we’re happy to hear that one of the 2016 Oscar’s biggest critics, Jada Pinkett Smith, is pleased with this year’s list. Hooray! A few celebrities were so infuriated last year that they boycotted the ceremony!
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During a recent interview with Variety, Pinkett Smith says:
“I feel really fantastic. It’s a beautiful thing to see. We had a lot of exceptional films this year. I’m glad to see that projects like Hidden Figures, Fences, and Moonlight are getting recognition. I’m very proud this morning.
Yessss. We love the progress, too! We’re thrilled for all of the people of color who were nominated for acting awards including Ruth Negga, Viola Davis, Naomie Harris, Octavia Spencer, Mahershala Ali, Dev Patel, and Denzel Washington. Congrats!
Jada also talked about why it’s so important now, in 2017, to see diversity in film:
“Because of the state that our country is in, as artists it’s so important we use our platform to help shine light on how we want to be identified as a country. I look at this as a beautiful step towards that. Just our participation as artists in this time of how we want to represent our country, what is the messaging we want the world to see. As artists we have strong voices. We create strong imagery in regards to the identity of our country. It’s important that we take responsibility for that.”
As Jada acknowledges, though, our work is far from over. In the Best Actress and Best Actor category, the only black nominees are Ruth Negga and Denzel Washington respectively, and many of the other categories feature a list of predominately white contenders.
Jada says:
“I’m very proud to be part of the artistic community today. We have a ways to go, but we’ve also come a long way. We’ve come a long way as a country, and we’re going to keep stepping.
We agree. Let’s keep getting better, Hollywood!
