Just a few days ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the 2016Oscar nominations, and they were not without controversy. Many noticed a major lack of diversity, with no African-Americans nominated for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor or Best Supporting Actress this year. Many analysts believed that several African-American actors are directors were overlooked this year, such asCreeddirectorRyan Coogler,Beasts of No NationstarEdris ElbaandConcussionstarWill Smith. Over the weekend, directorSpike Leeand actressJada Pinkett Smithboth revealed that they will be boycottingThe Academy Awardsthis year. Take a look atSpike Lee’s full statement that he made on hisInstagrampage.

“#OscarsSoWhite… Again. I Would Like To Thank President Cheryl Boone Isaacs And The Board Of Governors Of The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences For Awarding Me an Honorary Oscar This Past November. I Am Most Appreciative. However My Wife, Mrs. Tonya Lewis Lee And I Will Not Be Attending The Oscar Ceremony This Coming February. We Cannot Support It And Mean No Disrespect To My Friends, Host Chris Rock and Producer Reggie Hudlin, President Isaacs And The Academy. But, How Is It Possible For The 2nd Consecutive Year All 20 Contenders Under The Actor Category Are White? And Let’s Not Even Get Into The Other Branches. 40 White Actors In 2 Years And No Flava At All. We Can’t Act?! WTF!! It’s No Coincidence I’m Writing This As We Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of Dr.Martin Luther KingJr’s Birthday. Dr. King Said ‘There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It’s Right.’ For Too Many Years When The Oscars Nominations Are Revealed, My Office Phone Rings Off The Hook With The Media Asking Me My Opinion About The Lack Of African-Americans And This Year Was No Different. For Once, (Maybe) I Would Like The Media To Ask All The White Nominees And Studio Heads How They Feel About Another All White Ballot. If Someone Has Addressed This And I Missed It Then I Stand Mistaken. As I See It, TheAcademy AwardsIs Not Where The “Real” Battle Is. It’s In The Executive Office Of The Hollywood Studios And TV And Cable Networks. This Is Where The Gate Keepers Decide What Gets Made And What Gets Jettisoned To “Turnaround” Or Scrap Heap. This Is What’s Important. The Gate Keepers. Those With “The Green Light” Vote. As The Great Actor Leslie Odom Jr. Sings And Dances In The Game Changing Broadway MusicalHamilton, “I Wanna Be In The Room When It Happens.” People, The Truth Is We Ain’t In Those Rooms And Until Minorities Are, The Oscar Nominees Will Remain Lilly White.”

ActressJada Pinkett Smithmade her announcement through a video on her officialFacebookpage. It isn’t known if her husbandWill Smithwill also be boycotting the awards, but we’ll have to wait and see. Here’s a portion of the actress' statement, which includes a message to this year’s Oscar hostChris Rock.

“Maybe it is time we pull back our resources and we put them back into our communities, into our programs, and we make programs for ourselves that acknowledge us in ways that we see fit, that are just as good as the so-called mainstream. Begging for acknowledgement or even asking [to be nominated] diminishes dignity. It diminishes power and we are a dignified people and we are powerful. And let’s not forget it. So let’s let the Academy do them with all grace and love and let’s do us differently.Chris, I will not be at theAcademy Awardsand I won’t be watching but I can’t think of a better man to do the job at hand this year then you my friend. Good luck.”

It remains to be seen if any other African-American filmmakers and/or actors will joinSpike Leeand actressJada Pinkett Smithin boycotting this year’s awards ceremony. Today marks the national holiday celebratingMartin Luther KingJr’s birthday, so we’ll have to wait and see if this news causes others to join in the Oscar boycott. Take a look at the tweets fromSpike Leeand actressJada Pinkett Smithbelow, and stay tuned for more on this Oscar boycott.