Actor John Leguizamo ran a full-page ad in Sunday's New York Times pressuring Emmy voters not to pick white nominees.
The actor claimed that white people are overrepresented in tech, banking, corporations, medicine, streaming, and Hollywood.
"I know everyone is exhausted about inclusion but not us who are not included. So that's why I took this ad out in the NYTimes," Leguizamo wrote on X, with pictures of his open letter to the Television Academy. I know everyone one is exhausted about inclusion but not us who are not included. So that’s why I took this add out in the NYTimes. White peoples are only 58.9% of the population but over represented in top positions across the board. They are the decision makers in tech,… pic.twitter.com/hj1nbWKwlu
— John Leguizamo (@JohnLeguizamo) June 9, 2024
Leguizamo continued, "White peoples are only 58.9% of the population but over represented in top positions across the board. They are the decision makers in tech, banking, corporations, medicine and streamers and Hollywood! 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?"
In his letter, the actor claimed that non-white artists deserve to win, not because of the color of their skin, but because he claims they "achieved greatness with a foot on their neck for too long."
"Let this be the start of a new era," he wrote. "Let us not continue to whitewash our award 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.'"
