Kim Kardashian: 'I want my children to grow up knowing that their lives matter'
Kim Kardashian has posted a letter to her website in which she supports the Black Lives Matter movement and laments the fear that her children (with Kanye West) will grow up vulnerable to violence due to their skin tone.
"I want my children to grow up knowing that their lives matter," she wrote. "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."
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Kardashian went on to list the names of black Americans who have recently lost their lives to police violence. In an apparent nod to Thursday's Dallas sniper attack that left five police officers dead she added, "the last thing we need is to fuel anger with more hate or violence." Finally, Kardashian urged her fans to take action by calling their legislators, donating to the victims' families and getting involved with Black Lives Matter.
Read the full text off her post below:
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.
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Tricia Gilbride was a Reporter for Mashable Watercooler. Tricia focused on the intersection of celebrity culture and the Internet. Previously, she worked as a fashion writer and a social media manager. She also edits Women-Artists.org, a blog and annual print publication, and looks exactly like her cat.
