OAN’s Brooke Mallory
5:36 PM – Monday, June 10, 2024
Liberal actor John Leguizamo placed a full-page advertisement in the Sunday New York Times. He utilized the advertising space to write an open letter to Emmy voters, urging them to support and vote for candidates of color, as opposed to White entertainers.
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Leguizamo also posted on X (Twitter) after sharing the letter, where he said: “America is better when it is inclusive. It is more profitable. It is more creative! Let’s not give up. I’m still woke! Are you?”
Below the post, the actor also tagged a number of well-known celebrities, including Missy Elliot, Shaquille O’Neal, Whoopi Goldberg, and actress Naomi Watts.
“I had to speak out! And I will continue to until we have parity!” Leguizamo wrote in a second tweet, tagging Sen. Cory Booker and Rashida Jones, among other Democrats.
The letter in the actual ad reads:
“Please let this be the year we finally embrace change,” he began. “The year we truly find Equity, and see artists of color represented across not just one category, but ALL categories.”
“I know you’re tired of hearing words like ‘inclusivity’ and ‘diversity’ – treading water while you try to understand how to put actions behind these sentiments. Look no further! It’s simple!” he continued.
“There are hundreds of prolific non-white artists who deserve to be considered for Awards this year, not because they are simply… Black, Brown, Indigenous or Asian but because they are truly great… exceptional artists who have achieved that greatness with a foot on their neck for far too long.”
“Let this be a start of a new era,” he added. “Let us not continue to white wash our Awards shows. Instead let this year be the catalyst that inspires the Next Generation of minority and underrepresented artists… a generation who might finally see a reflection of themselves on that stage and think, ‘If they can, maybe I can too…’” The letter ended.
On Thursday, June 13th, Emmy voting officially begins.
While the entire Academy casts votes in programming categories like “Best Comedy,” for example, individual members also vote among themselves (directors for directors, actors for actors, and so forth).
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