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Politics
Neil Roberts, Professor of Africana Studies and Political Science, Williams College

Revisiting Will Smith's slap and what it means to protect a loved one

Will Smith accepts an Oscar during the 94th Annual Academy Awards. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

It took less than a nanosecond before The Slap was seen around the world. It took a little longer – about two weeks – before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to ban Will Smith from appearing at another Oscar awards ceremony.

But missing from the frenzy that consumed social media and mainstream channels about that infamous night has been a constructive discussion about the idea of protection – and how race plays a role in the perceptions of both the protectors and the protected.

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