The 'Scandal' actress talks about her 'very real fear' for her children, extended family, and community amid the ongoing racial injustice climate in the United States.
- Sep 20, 2020
AceShowbiz - Kerry Washington fears going on a scooter ride with her children in their own neighbourhood due to ongoing racial injustice in America.
The "Little Fires Everywhere" star is the latest guest on the "Jemele Hill Is Unbothered" podcast, and the actress and producer opens up about her personal experiences of racism and her fears for her children.
"It's crazy when somebody says like, 'How dare you, Kerry Washington, have a voice. You're a so-privileged Hollywood actor person,' " Kerry says. "No matter what I do, no matter how many Emmy nominations, I am still scared at times to scooter in neighbourhoods with my kids where I feel like somebody could call the cops."
She explains, "because that cop may never have seen Scandal... I still have that very real fear," adding that people telling her to not have an opinion on key social and cultural issues is hurtful to her.
"Nobody should be silenced because of their job," the "Confirmation" actress insists. "I have to be extra responsible in ensuring that what I say comes from my heart and is me speaking for me and not on behalf of any other organisations or ideologies, which I don't."
Kerry continues, "When I speak about this country, I speak as a mother, I speak as a woman, I speak as a Black person… I don't speak as a Hollywood elite."
"I speak as somebody who's the mother of Black children, as somebody who had student loans way longer than I thought I would. I speak as somebody who cares about my community and the community that my family lives in, my extended family."
