Thursday morning [January 21] ABC’s Good Morning America featured a one on one interview with Will Smith focusing on the current hot topic of the 88th Academy Awards. This is the first time Smith has spoken publicly on this issue while his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, has been one of the more prominent voices against the so-called “white washed” Oscar nominations list.
In the interview, Smith speaks in depth about what he believes makes Hollywood, and ultimately this country, great: our diversity. This diversity is our “super power” as he puts it, and allows for the incorporation of many different characteristics into our national identity.
To him, “Hollywood at its best represents and creates the imagery” for the beauty that’s our diversity. Unfortunately many believe we’re not witnessing Hollywood at its best. Smith, who makes sure to state he’s not against the actors nominated in this dilemma, believes the nominations are a reflection of the Academy and they’re moving in the wrong direction in their manner of thinking. Hollywood should be celebrating and encouraging diversity by nominating actors, actresses, and directors of all races to exemplify our American super power.
Smith’s statements on this issue come in full support of his wife’s previous addressing of this issue. In the interview he says after hearing Pinkett-Smith’s opinion and stance on this issue he was happy to be married to a woman who stands so firmly for what she believes in and appreciated the push to be part of the solution and not the problem.
There have been attempts to discredit Jada Pinkett-Smith saying she’s only boycotting this year’s Oscars because of the lack of Will Smith’s nomination. In the interview, Smith assures this stance is very much not about him and if he were the only person of color nominated for an award he and his family would still be in protest of the racist academy.
