Will smith not black enough

The year-old actor has spent the last three decades crafting himself into the perfect image of the ever-pleasant, non-threatening Black man. From curse-free rap lyrics to his tender, nuanced portrayals of complicated characters, Smith has been a darling of mainstream Hollywood for a very long time, will smith not black enough. And prior to the last few yearshe was one of a few celebrities who had made it to the peak of their careers virtually scandal-free.

With the film industry already grappling with a diversity crisis and people calling for more opportunities for minorities and women, the colorism debate appears to have taken this one step further. Critics of the casting announcement felt that the decision to choose Will Smith over other actors including Don Cheadle or Idris Elba was a mistake and that his skin tone was not dark enough to portray Williams:. Skin color matters in how folk were treated and navigated spaces. Is Alexandra Shipp playing Venus? I like Will Smith but him as Richard Williams is not ok. It's just not appropriate and there are other actors that are dark skinned and have name recognition that can do this work. Anyone that doesn't get that its colorism is delusional.

Will smith not black enough

Earlier this week, it was reported that Will Smith could be starring in a new project called King Richard, telling the story of Richard Williams, the father of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams. While Smith has yet to confirm the news, it didn't stop fans from tweeting their excitement about the idea of the star portraying such an accomplished man. But there were a few who weren't so pleased with the choice, and not because they were questioning the star's talent, but because his skin tone isn't considered dark enough. In recent years, Hollywood has made progress in representing minorities on screen, yet we still find ourselves circling around the issue of colourism. This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Colourism is described as discrimination against darker-skinned minorities and the idea that lighter-skinned minorities are given more privilege - and before you complain about the woes of "snowflake millennials" - it isn't a new concept. In America, colourism has existed since the days of slavery, where the shade of someone's skin often determined which jobs slaves were given. While dark-skinned slaves had more gruelling work outdoors on the plantations, their light-skinned counterparts usually worked indoors doing more domestic tasks - this preferential treatment occurred because light-skinned slaves were often the product of white slave owners raping their female slaves. Over time, having a closer proximity to whiteness became a tool for survival and having lighter skin was seen as a desirable asset. Many believe those attitudes are still reflected in Hollywood today. TV and film throughout the decades have offered up a plethora of stereotypes and tropes we've grown accustomed to, such as the mean, popular girls in school or the sassy black friend - and this same logic can be applied to the way certain skin tones have been perceived on screen.

This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. I see you, with your beautiful Black daughter by your side.

The stunning physical altercation between actor Will Smith and comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday has sparked debate about the appropriate ways for Black men to publicly defend Black women against humiliation and abuse. The incident on Sunday has sparked debate about the appropriate ways for Black men to publicly defend Black women against humiliation and abuse. FILE - Sen. Cory Booker, D-N. Supreme Court.

Hollywood and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences have been trying to do better since then. As they see it, the casting is colorism in action. Those who are lighter head to the top rung, while the darker ones languish at the bottom. Colorism is a significant problem in Hollywood, especially with black performers. Directors, producers and casting agents often seem to favor biracial and light-skinned blacks, presumably because they are closer to the idealized white beauty standard and therefore more acceptable to white audiences. Not only does it have two black actors in central roles, but both are dark-skinned. One character is gay and the other is straight.

Will smith not black enough

The influence of family can never be understated, especially when it comes to art. Not only has he experienced this through the lessons taught to him by his family, but the award-winning entertainer has used them to help raise children that have also become more conscious artists in their own right. Back in November , Smith was on tour with his autobiography Will , which saw him making select stops to promote his life story. That was until his grandmother Gigi caught a hold of his lyrics, which led to the following story which CinemaBlend was present to hear first hand:. I had the black and white speckled school book, and I was putting all my rhymes in there.

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Colourism isn't an issue unique to Black Hollywood though. So that case Denzel Washington should never have played Malcom x. This story corrects the name of the associate director of the Black Girls Smile organization. March 7, AM. He is an awesome actor and will play hell out of it. The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. However, some viewers thought that Coco and Joelle, Sam's former best friend and current best friend, who are both dark-skinned, were overlooked and underdeveloped. End of twitter post 2 by baldheaded. Share on Social Media. Search Query Submit Search. I am a Black woman, and my heart holds all Black people everywhere. Skip twitter post 3 by Zee Allow Twitter content? As they see it, the casting is colorism in action.

Will Smith said that his socioeconomic status played a part in the criticism he faced when he entered the hip-hop world as a teen. He added: "I grew up on a nice street in a two-parent household.

While Smith has yet to confirm the news, it didn't stop fans from tweeting their excitement about the idea of the star portraying such an accomplished man. March 29, pm. The fact that the slap took place on an international stage does not enlarge the foolishness — at least, not for me. All Rights Reserved. Some have suggested that Mahershala Ali or Idris Elba would have been more suitable choices. Colourism in Hollywood. And Chris Rock knows better. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Shows like Netflix's Dear White People were accused of recycling this very same trope in , when in the show's first season, its light-skinned protagonist Sam was given ample time to explore her struggles with her mixed-race identity and was also the subject of many men's affections. Those who are lighter head to the top rung, while the darker ones languish at the bottom. View original content on Twitter. Advertise on Film Industry Network. Tayo Bero.