If you have not heard by now, Jada Pinkett-Smith wife of Will Smith and television actress would like black actors and actresses to not show up for the Academy Awards this year because this the second year in a row that there are no black nominees in the major categories. Now some of what she is saying has been said before differently but the message is the same. Now fast forward, Ms. Janet Hubert, television actress from back in the day. I say that because I do not recall seeing her on screen or about her being on Broadway in over 20 years. She had a response to Jada’s messaging about self-empowerment. Ms. Hubert references many of the other issues that widely affect a large portion of Black America in regards to making ends meet, trying to establish a career in Hollywood and black men being target practice for law enforcement. I do agree with most of what Ms. Hubert has to say because before this came out I was having an enlightened discussion on Facebook in the black main street group uttering similar words. Some of it was just her being salty with Will because he refused to lobby on her behalf thus leading to her replacement on the hit show Fresh Prince of Bel Air. I figured that after these two self-produced pleas that this would go away. But no, not a chance, it’s been on the news and entertainment TV shows. Others are making their self-produced responses. There are few other notables chiming in.
In recent days, we have had, Stacey Dash speak. She is an actress and news magazine show contributor. She just says that black people are perpetuating separation to put it mildly. Oh yeah, allow me to quote “let’s do away with black history month.” Okay, Ms. Dash, I hear you, I respect that you are entitled to your opinion but I don’t think anyone of color is agreeing with you. Lastly, a few old time Hollywood actors and actress state that boycotting the Academy Awards is a racist move against white people. Certainly after sleeping on those statements there were retractions the next day. The statement were made by people who in their hay day were revered but now should I speak their name people who only say who? I am not going to give the satisfaction of identification. You can google the phrase and find out who there are. However, there are quite a few prominent black actors who say that they are not boycotting anything to include Don Cheadle, Whoopi Goldberg and the host Chris Rock. Black people have award shows where they are honored with great fanfare. The triumph awards, Image Awards, NAACP Awards, BET Awards and Soul Train Awards. How many more do you need? For those of you who want to boycott, you still working right? Watch how quickly that will change. That can’t be said for the majority of black actors and actresses in Hollywood today. I personally do not think there should be a boycott based on much of what others have said in forums and in interviews.
The world is bigger then this controversy is for a chosen few. You want to boycott something, stop buying products that do not support your community (ie: if a company is not giving back charitably to cause that you believe in then don’t support them). I know plenty of executives who will not support companies who are not green for example. I am not saying that company has to be black-owned but I am saying that they need to support some type of black community effort whether it be the fight against homelessness, giving to food banks, donations to poor school districts, building or opening a recreational center for black youth, sponsors a youth team with uniforms. Just something positive so that you can see your dollars. People stop wasting energy on something that is only important to a handful. Focus your attention on something greater that can benefit the masses. And that’s your food for thought.