The 2016 Oscars has been absolutely mired in controversy. With no people of color in any of the top categories, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite is trending, and many top artists, like Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Spike Lee, are boycotting the awards show. Leave it to Kerry Washington to discuss the Oscars boycott and make some really good points about the current of social change, the boycott, and how inclusivity happens. She really put it all in perspective. Washington is at the 2016 Oscars to present, but, because she is an angel on Earth, she had to make a powerful statement.
When gently pressed about the Oscars boycott, Washington said that her presence at the Academy Awards was about using her voice. "I’ve been thinking… if you look at the history of movements, the history of change, a lot of voices are needed at the table,” she said. “I really respect and actually admire some of the people who are not here tonight, I really get it. But for me, I felt like my voice, in my heart, my voice is best used at the table.” The actress went on to explain that she’s a new member of the Academy, and she wants to make sure that she is a part of the conversation so she can make changes for the future. The Oscars should be as inclusive as possible, and Washington is doing her part to ensure that.
Isn’t she just the best? Here, Washington is both fair to the people who decided to boycott and to her own feelings. She’s not condemning anyone’s choices about how to handle #OscarsSoWhite — she’s expressing her feelings and doing what she thinks is right to fix it. In the end, Washington said, “It’s about women, it’s about people of color, it’s about age, it’s about making sure that our films and the awards that we give for films represent humanity.” Hear, hear!
