People of Colour and the Oscars: My Take

The expression "person or people of colour" is used to denote a person or people

who are not white. That would be Blacks, Asians, Arabs and Hispanics.

But over time whenever that expression rears its head in racial discourses, it has
become acceptable for it to denote only blacks whilst ignoring completely other
non-white races.

In her tweets in which she floated the idea of an Oscars boycott, Jada Pinkett Smith
tweeted "At the Oscars...people of color are always welcomed to give out
awards...even entertain...But we are rarely recognized for our artistic
accomplishments. Should people of color refrain from participating all together?"

In her video calling for a boycott, she also made reference to "people of colour" but
it is clear (or it could rightly be inferred) from both the tweets and the video that
she was referring to only one race in the races that constitute people of colour;
Blacks.
When you think of it; the reason why Jada (and every black person who has
bemoaned the exclusion of black actors from the Oscar nominations for 2016 and
preceding years) seemed to restrict the definition of people of colour to just Blacks
(and not seem racist) could also be advanced for why only white actors dominate
Oscar nominations(and by same token, it should not be regarded as racist ).
That reason being; much like self-preservation is the first rule of survival, every
race looks out for itself and its own. Every race will tell and promote its own story
over and above every other race's. Every race is going to skewer its account of
history to paint themselves in glowing colours (the irony of it in the context of
racism) and bathe every other race in unflattering shades. Every race is going to
advance its cause whilst ensuring that other races are held back. It's the way of
mankind and it is not restricted to any one race.

I am not naive to imagine that racist motives are not behind the over domination of
the Oscars by white actors but I am sick and tired of hearing the complaints of
racism in that patented whinny tone of self-righteous indignation from the usual
quarters.

I may be unaware of it but I have not heard Hispanics, Asians and Arabs, and
Martians (Yes, we've made enough movies about Martians to entitle them to a
considerable slice of the Oscars nomination pie, but I digress ) bitch and moan
about being excluded the way Blacks have and continue to do. And they even have
to suffer the double jeopardy of being excluded in the definition of "people of
colour" whenever our bitch and moan record of "woe-is-us-we've-been-excluded-
from-the Oscars-again" is stuck on repeat during awards season.

Much like when any of the big 3 majority tribes in Nigeria bitch and moan about
being marginalized without sparing a thought for the ordeal of the other 247
minority tribes, Blacks in America (and we their hype men in the mother continent
) conveniently ignore the self-indicting racism in their appropriation of the
expression "people of colour" when they call for equal opportunities for people of
colour in Oscars nominations.

It's time we stopped looking at the world through rose - coloured lenses in matters
relating to equal opportunities. Life is not fair and racism and other prejudices will
always factor in denying equal opportunities to all people in every human
endeavour.
The key is to stop bitching and moaning about it when you can clearly create your
own opportunities if others won't let you into their exclusive club. Tell your own
story, create your own mainstream and whilst at it, try not to display the same
tendencies you bitched and moaned about about the other club.

Now, give the best actor Oscar to Leonardo DiCaprio before I bitch and moan
about white on white racism. #OscarsoDicaprio!