Tagged: The Hollywood Reporter

“Everybody is prejudiced. Everybody has their life experiences that make them prefer one thing over another — it makes them prefer blond hair over a brunette; if you see somebody with dark skin walking down the street, you have a different reaction than you have [with] someone who is 5-foot-1 and white. But there is a connotation with racism of superiority: You feel that your race generally is superior. And I have to say, I live with constant prejudice, but racism is actually rare — someone who thinks their race is superior. I don’t want to work for them. I don’t want to work at that company. And the times I have come in contact with it, you get away from those people.” — Will Smith

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Will Smith made this statement at a recent roundtable with The Hollywood Reporter and other A-list Hollywood actors. Not sure why he would make such a statement…especially since Hollywood still has a problem with hiring and/or promoting qualified African Americans and people of color to decision-making positions at the talent agencies, networks, studios, production companies and other areas of the business.

A writer from MadameNoire – Desiree Bowie — hit it right on the head in her criticism of Smith’s statements in an article appropriately titled “Racism Is Rare…For Will Smith.” She stated:

His statement was earnest but cloaked in both naiveté and ignorance, and it’s important to bear in mind that Will Smith has been rich and A-list famous for far longer than he was a poor kid from West Philly. While he was busy looking up the distinct differences between the definitions of prejudice and racism, racist and prejudice acts were disproportionately occurring against other POC in entertainment and the working class. For Smith to make a statement in a well-known publication that denies the constant nature of racism is wholly irresponsible and shows of his privilege. When bigots hear people like Smith say that racism is rare (even if just in Hollywood), it provides them ammunition, or better yet, justification to do nothing when racist acts occur. It also allows them to dismiss the underlining cause behind the lack of diversity onscreen and behind the camera.

It is great that we as Black people can see someone ascend to the heights of success that Will Smith has attained, but it is dangerous that while high on his perch, he should dare make such a lofty statement with such long-reaching effects.

I definitely agree with Bowie. Click the image above to read the entire Q & A.

“I look at the film landscape, and there are probably three or four studios that actually don’t even have one executive of color on their production side. Not one.” — WME Agent Charles King

King became the first African American to be promoted to film Agent at WMA. Although the company told its first African American Agent Wally Amos in the late 1960s that the studios and networks “weren’t ready” for a black Agent, the company felt the studios were ready for a black Agent in 1991, when King was promoted in the company’s 101st year of being in business.

Source: Minju Pak, “New Voices.” The Hollywood Reporter. November 8, 2005.