Will Smith's Take on Racism in Hollywood Has Us Scratching Our Heads

Will Smith said racism in Hollywood is “actually rare” while prejudice is a constant struggle.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Smith offers a critical breakdown of the terms and his experiences differentiating between the two.

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“My wife and I were just having this conversation, and we were going to the dictionary for ‘prejudice’ versus ‘racism,’” he said. “Everybody is prejudiced. Everybody has their life experiences that make them prefer one thing over another—it makes them prefer blond hair over a brunette; if you see somebody with dark skin walking down the street, you have a different reaction than you have [with] someone who is 5-foot-1 and white. But there is a connotation with racism of superiority: You feel that your race generally is superior. And I have to say, I live with constant prejudice, but racism is actually rare—someone who thinks their race is superior.”

As for his response to those who exude the blantant racism that most expect to come from movie execs, he said, “I don’t want to work for them. I don’t want to work at that company. And the times I have come in contact with it, you get away from those people.”

“Racism is rare” in Hollywood? We’re not sure what to think but we know there is a follow-up comment coming sometime soon. What do you think?