Date: 19th January 2016

Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith Call for Oscar Boycott.


Despite receiving an honorary Oscar at last year’s Governor’s Awards, Spike Lee posted on Instagram on Martin Luther King’s birthday Monday, saying he and his wife would not be attending the Oscar ceremony.

Lee’s statement said, "We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy. 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!!"

It continues, Dr. King Said "There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It’s Right."

Last year, there were similar calls to boycott the ceremony but Lee and Pinkett Smith are the first high-profile figures to carry out the threat.

Neil Patrick Harris presented the show and the audience figures were down 16% to a six-year low.
The hashtag "OscarsSoWhite" was heavily used after Thursday's announcement.

Source: Press Release