Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Chiiile … Will has been going through it in 2023! It’s only November, but I’m sure he’s waiting for the clock to strike midnight on Jan. 1, 2024 because this year wasn’t kind to him at all. And as a fan, it’s painful to watch him having such a crazy year that most folks don’t really seem to think he deserves.
As Cardi B put it in her recent Instagram Live, Will is such an “unproblematic” guy. Is he perfect? No, and the Oscar slap is evidence of that, but he has continuously aimed for the highest version of himself in all that we’ve seen of him. He’s been the guy who’s admitted when he was wrong, sought to make amends for wrongdoing and pushed himself to grow with each new year of life. So, when I saw Will’s Instagram post the other day, bemoaning the hardship of adulthood, I had to send our favorite Fresh Prince some love.
So, respectfully, y’all gon’ back the hell up off of Willard C. Smith Jr. This man holds a very special place in the hearts and minds of damn near every Black person born after the Baby Boomer generation. (And at a minimum, I know I speak on behalf of millennials; we rock with Will Smith).
In the midst of an era dominated by street life and gangsta rap, he taught us that it was OK to be concerned with just having a good time. Everything didn’t have to be do or die Bedstuy! Manhood wasn’t defined by one overplayed note of gargoyled macho bravado and anger. Will is that guy who showcased for young Black men and boys another facet of Black manhood. He showed that it was OK to…
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