Oftentimes, when something as tragic and polarizing as police fatally shooting a Black man occurs, celebrities steer clear of the subsequent debates and conversations. Considering they have a platform larger than any of us regular citizens, they sometimes take that route to avoid alienating their fan base, or having their thoughts and expressions misconstrued by the media, who tend to scrutinize every one of their actions.
However, the events of the last 72 hours have throttled this nation so forcefully, everyone is ditching their fear of being politically incorrect, including Kim Kardashian, who spoke out on the recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, which took place on back-to-back evenings this week.
Sterling was gunned down at point-blank range by an officer attempting to restrain him, after he was approached by authorities for celling CDs outside a convenience store. Castile and his girlfriend were pulled over for having a busted taillight, and Mr. Castile was gunned down by a cop while he was reaching for his identification. Kardashian, a woman who’s built a large majority of her empire using social media in pioneering ways, is even admitting that social media activism isn’t nearly what’s truly needed in response to these tragedies.
She posted an open letter titled, “#BlackLivesMatter” to her website today.
This week we watched Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two innocent black men, get senselessly murdered by police officers. Like a lot of you guys, I watched the videos, and was appalled and completely heartbroken. I was left speechless, angry and numb.
I want my children to grow up knowing that their lives matter. I do not ever want to have to teach my son to be scared of the police, or tell him that he has to watch his back because the people we are told to trust—the people who “protect and serve”—may not be protecting and serving him because of the color of his skin.
The last thing we need is to fuel anger with more hate or violence, especially toward the many incredible police officers who risk their lives every single day to protect our families and communities. We must peacefully use the power of our voices and the strength of our numbers to demand changes in the judicial system so that brutality doesn’t ever go unpunished.
It is our responsibility as Americans and as parents to create a safe future for our children. We must do something NOW. We must speak up until we are heard and real, effective changes are made.
Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Sean Bell … and unfortunately so many more.
Hashtags are not enough. This must end now.
Click here to find your legislator.
Donate to Philando Castile’s family here.
Donate to Alton Sterling’s family here.
