Oscars: Jada Pinkett Smith Says She Won’t Attend Awards, Contemplates Appropriate Response to Lack of Nonwhite Nominees

Jada Pinkett Smith took to Twitter on Saturday morning to share her thoughts on the lack of diversity among the 88th Academy Award nominees that were announced on Thursday.

In a series of three tweets, the actress, who appeared in 2015’s Magic Mike XXL, shared her opinions on the lack of nonwhite nominees among Oscar contenders.

“At the Oscars … people of color are always welcomed to give out awards … even entertain,” she posted in the first tweet.

“But we are rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together?” she questioned. 

“People can only treat us in the way in which we allow. With much respect in the midst of deep disappointment,” Smith concluded. 

For the second consecutive year, no black actors were nominated in any of the four acting categories — best actor, best actress, best supporting actor and best supporting actress — including Will Smith, who was snubbed for his lead role in Concussion.

At the Oscars … people of color are always welcomed to give out awards … even entertain, (pt. 1)

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) January 16, 2016

But we are rarely recognized for our artistic accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together? (pt 2)

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) January 16, 2016

People can only treat us in the way in which we allow. With much respect in the midst of deep disappointment. J (pt 3)

— Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapsmith) January 16, 2016

On Monday, Smith posted a video on Facebook in which she elaborated on her thoughts about the appropriate response to the Academy’s white nominees and said she wouldn’t be attending the Oscars. In light of Martin Luther King Day, Smith wondered aloud, “is it time that people of color recognize how much power and influence that we have amassed that we no longer need to ask to be invited anywhere?

Turning her focus to the Oscars’ diversity issue, she suggested that perhaps people of color should develop their own awards as a counterpoint to the Oscars.

“The Academy has the right to acknowledge whomever they choose, to invite whomever they choose and now I think that it’s our responsibility, now, to make the change,” she said. :Maybe it is time that we pull back our resources and we put them back into our communities and our programs and we make programs for ourselves that acknowledge us in ways that we see fit, that are just as good as the so-called ‘mainstream’ ones.”

“Begging for acknowledgement or even asking diminishes dignity and diminishes power and we are a dignified people and we are powerful and let’s not forget it,” Smith added. “So let’s let the Academy do them, with all grace and love, and let’s do us, differently. I got nothing but love.”

She then reached out to this year’s Oscar host: “Hey, 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.”