“But how is it possible for the 2nd consecutive year all 20 contenders under the actor category are white?” Lee wrote on Instagram on Monday.
Director Spike Lee used Martin Luther King's birthday to announce that he and his wife will not attend the Oscars next month after all of the best actor nominations went only to white people.
In an Instagram post Monday, Lee wrote that he means no disrespect to his friends, host Chris Rock, producer Reggie Hudlin, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.
"But, how is it possible for the 2nd consecutive year all 20 contenders under the actor category are white?" Lee wrote. "And let's not even get into the Oscar branches. 40 white actors in 2 years and no flava at all. We can't act?! WTF!!"
None of the nominees for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, or Best Supporting Actress are performers of color.
Quoting Dr. King, Lee wrote, "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."
Two days ago, actress Jada Pinkett Smith suggested people of color boycott the Oscars for nominating predominately white stars.
For the second year in a row, there was immediate backlash on Twitter following the announcement of this year's nominations last week.
Using the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, people argued the Academy snubbed actors such as Pinkett Smith's husband Will Smith for Concussion, and Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation.
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