In response to the lack of Black nominees for this year’s Oscars, Rev. Al Sharpton is calling for people to not watch the awards ceremony set for February.
The civil rights leader announced on Tuesday he’s convening a series of meetings and conference calls to launch the campaign. Sharpton spoke with filmmaker Spike Lee, who is boycotting the Oscars, before his announcement and the National Action Network’s (NAN) Los Angeles Chapter. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith, wife of actor Will Smith, also announced she is boycotting the Oscars.
Rev. K.W. Tulloss, President of the L.A. National Action Network, Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson and Najee Ali, President of Project Islamic Hope are among the other leaders calling for the tune out.
“The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences made many promises last year to promote diversity in its film awards. It kept none of them. The proof is that despite a number of name, qualified black performers in major films, not one was nominated for an Academy award,” said Tulloss, Ali, and Hutchinson in a joint statment, “There’s only one thing that Hollywood understands and that’s dollars and ratings. We will launch a nationwide “TV Tune Out” of the Oscars ceremony, February 28. This will send the message that diversity in the film industry must be more than a hollow promise.
Sharpton said he wants to “show that Americans will turn off anything that does not represent the broad cultural and diverse contributions of American entertainment.”