As the Oscar nominations are being released, many celebrities are coming to the realization that there is a prominent lack of diversity in the Oscars, especially with the representation of African Americans. Celebrities such as Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and even Chris Rock are distraught with the nomination list, for no African American actors were nominated this year. Although the comedian Chris Rock is the host of the Oscars this year, he tweeted, “The #Oscars. The White BET Awards.” This is ironic as BET stands for Black Entertainment Television – a statIon created to highlight significant African American people in the celebrity pool. Jada Pinkett Smith, a very active voice in this boycott, also tweeted, “Should people of color refrain from participating all together?”

Even a presidential candidate is commenting on this issue. Donald Trump, a republican candidate, believes that this issue is unfortunate. “It’s a tough situation” Trump said. In an interview with Fox News, Trump expressed his beliefs that the BET and the BET Awards are controversial themselves. “The whites don’t get any nominations” said Trump, “with all of that being said, it would certainly be nice if everybody could be represented properly” Trump added.

The active voices in this boycott, such as Spike Lee, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Cheryl Boone Isaacs are expressing their concerns with this year’s Oscar nominations, and are refusing to attend or watch the show. Snoop Dogg, a famous rapper, even posted a video on instagram saying that he will not watch the Oscars and is very disappointed with the lack of diversity. Some of these people are trying to persuade Chris Rock to boycott too. Being the host is a huge commitment, however, and Chris Rock is definitely the right person for the job this year.

Tune in to the Oscars on February 28th to see how Chris Rock attempts to light up the room with laughter and bring humor to this issue.