Will Smith: “Black Lives Matter” is a better slogan than “Defund The Police”

Will Smith says the global reckoning of racism that has occurred following George Floyd’s death has been mostly positive, but he believes he could use better branding.

“The whole world was on lockdown, looked at what happened to George Floyd and stood up with one voice and said: We see it. We agree“Smith told GQ magazine in a profile published Monday. “This has never happened before and with it the opportunities are like they never have been. “

Case in point: “Emancipation,” Smith’s next Civil War era epic for Apple TV. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, tells the story of “Whipped Peter”, a slave who was the subject of one of the most widely circulated images of slavery of his time.

“I’ve been trying to make films for a long time. And the amount of money Apple pays to tell the story [of ‘Emancipation’] is unprecedented, ”Smith said. “And these opportunities are globally present and abundant. “

Earlier this year, Smith also produced and hosted the six-part Netflix docuseries “Amend,” which focused on the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and offered a close examination of the history of racial oppression in America, between other subjects.

Still, Smith fears black Americans will take more advantage of this moment.

“I just want to encourage black Americans to take notice and seize current global opportunities,” he told GQ. “I just wish we argued less about some things and were careful about the big, ripe fruit.”

Smith, who has spoken in the past about his own experiences with police racism, said he thought certain terms, like “funding the police” and “critical race theory,” might use different language to make them. better understand to people outside the community.

“Abolish the police. Fund the police. I would love to just say “Stand up for the wrong police”. It’s almost as if I as black Americans want us to change our marketing to the new position we find ourselves in. So “critical race theory,” just call it “theory of truth,” Smith said. “The pendulum swings beautifully in our direction. And there is a certain humility that will capitalize the most on the moment for the future of black Americans, without neglecting the difficulty, the pain and the emotion.

“It’s a difficult area to discuss, but I feel like the simplicity of Black Lives Matter was perfect, ”he said. “Anyone trying to debate Black Lives Matter looks ridiculous. So when I talk about marketing our ideas, Black Lives Matter was perfection. “

By comparison, he argued, ““Finalizing the policy” doesn’t do it, no matter how good the ideas are. ”

He added, “I’m not saying we shouldn’t fund the police. I say, don’t say that, because then the people who would help you won’t.