"Empire" actor Malik Yoba has joined the debate over the lack of diversity at the upcoming Oscars, saying, getting nominated at the Oscars should not be considered a "birthright" by people.
Yoba, 48, becomes the latest celebrity to openly slam the "So-white" Oscars after stars like George Clooney, Reese Witherspoon and Will Smith criticised the academy for ignoring artists of colour despite acclaimed performances.
Posting on Instagram a photo of the New York Post front page story, whose headline read "This weekend will be... Whiter than the Oscars."
Yoba wrote, "Only in NY will this happen. Such an interesting time we're living in. The more things change the more things stay the same. A function of living inauthentically and disconnected from the eternal truth that God is love and we were all made in His image.
Praising the protests by his colleagues, he added, "From atheist to believers one thing is certain, everybody wants to feel loved, honoured, included, acknowledged and feel the support of their peers. Working in a business that doesn't always see the big picture is a challenge but being included is not a given or a birthright.
"All we can do as individuals is continue to honour our gifts and work toward building our own pathways to get our stories out to the masses. None of this is easy and every little bit counts including the protestations. Happy Friday Fam!! It's a great day to be alive as we take nothing from granted #truth #honor #oscars #hollywood #america #actor #blessing #pop #popculture.
