Will Smith is speaking candidly about the racism he’s experienced.
“I’ve been called [N-word] to my face probably five or six times,” the 52-year-old actor recently said on the “Pod Save America” podcast.
“And fortunately for my psyche, I’ve never been called [N-word] by a smart person,” Smith continued. ” … I had never looked into the eyes of a racist and saw anything that I perceived as intellect.”
Smith — who explores the Fourteenth Amendment and the definition of “citizens” in the new Netflix series “Amend: The Fight for America” — said that as he continued to navigate his career in Hollywood, he “started seeing the ideas of systemic racism.”
“But at the core of it, I noticed a difference between ignorance and evil,” Smith said. “Now they’re twins, for sure, but ignorance can be educated and evil is a much more difficult problem. And fortunately, ignorance is more prevalent than blatant evil. So I’ve always been encouraged that the process of 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.”
When asked about a potential segue into politics, the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” star 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.”