Joker’s lead actor confronts racism in BAFTAs

Monday 03rd February 2020 06:18 EST
 
 

On 2nd February, Sunday night, the lead actor of Joker urged celebrities to “truly understand systemic racism” prevalent in the BAFTAs nominations and awards.

Joaquin Phoenix who bagged the best actor award at BAFTAs for his role in Joker said that he felt “conflicted winning the award] because so many of my fellow actors who are deserving don’t have that privilege”.

In his speech which was received with commendable praise but overall silence, Phoenix emphasised,

“We send a very clear message to people of colour that ‘you’re not welcome here.’ We have to do the hard work to truly understand systemic racism. It is the obligation of the people who have created and benefit from the system of oppression to be the ones to dismantle it. So that’s on us.”

The all-white acting nominees announced by Bafta last month provoked uproar, with the hashtag #BaftasSoWhite once more trending and some fearing this year’s ceremony might face a boycott.


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