‘I’ve been called the N-word to my face’ – Will
Even “the Fresh Prince” can experience the brunt of bigotry.
Will Smith opened up about the racial unrest in America, which came to a head last summer following the heinous murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
Speaking of his own experiences with racism, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Men in Black” star revealed that he has been called the N-word several times.
“I’ve been called N-word to my face probably five or six times,” he divulged to Pod Save America cohost Jon Favreau on Monday. “And fortunately for my psyche, I’ve never been called N-word by a smart person.”
“I grew up with the impression that racists and racism were stupid,” the three-time Grammy winner added. “I had never looked into the eyes of a racist and saw anything that I perceived as intellect.”
Smith furthered, “I noticed a difference between ignorance and evil. Now they’re twins, for sure, but ignorance can be educated and evil is a much more difficult problem.”
As for how to ease racial tensions, he suggested that, “Education and understanding could alleviate some of the more dangerous and difficult aspects of racism that have unfortunately been embedded in the very fibers of our country.”
The 52-year-old father of three, who was a family-friendly rap superstar before becoming a Hollywood heavyweight, also said he is considering career options beyond acting and is flirting with running for political office.
“I think for now I’ll let that office get cleaned up a little bit and then I’ll consider that at some point down the line,” the Oscar nominee said about making a run for the Oval Office.
As for what kind of candidate Smith (inset) would be, he said, “I absolutely have an opinion, I’m optimistic, I’m hopeful, I believe in understanding between people and I believe in the possibility of harmony.”
“I will certainly do my part, whether it remains artistic or, at some point, ventures into the political arena,” he continued.
Smith appeared on the podcast to promote his new Netflix docuseries on the 14th Amendment, “Amend: The Fight for America.”