Some fans are not happy with Emma Watson and have accused the Harry Potter star of “prioritizing her Instagram aesthetic” over the Black Lives Matter movement, after she put a white boarder around her #BlackoutTuesday post.
For those who missed it, many celebrities, companies and brands posted a black photo on Tuesday, June 2, in an attempt to honor George Floyd after his tragic death. The 46-year-old, unarmed black man passed away in Minneapolis, MN, on May 25, after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. The white officer — Derek Chauvin — did not move even as George repeatedly said “I can’t breathe,” as heard in a video captured by bystanders. The officer has since been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
But when Emma put a white border around her black photo in an attempt to seemingly match her Instagram theme (all her other pics feature the same border), some people quickly took social media to slam her.
“Did Emma Watson [really] put a d**n border on her blackout Tuesday post so it would fit her aesthetic… f**k that… And f**k the fact that this is the only time she’s spoken up and it literally contributes NOTHING… Miss me with that white feminist bs,” one fan wrote, with another adding, “Black lives aren’t an aesthetic, fighting is more important than your Instagram feed, lives are more important than your instagram feed. Yes I’m talking to you Emma Watson and all the others.”
black lives aren’t an aesthetic, fighting is more important than your instagram feed, lives are more important than your instagram feed. yes i’m talking to you emma watson and all the others.
— ravenclaw and company (@ravenclawandco) June 2, 2020
After receiving lots of backlash online, the 30-year-old took to Instagram again, this time to send a powerful message.
“There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is not acknowledged nor accounted for. White supremacy is one of the systems of hierarchy and dominance, of exploitation and oppression, that is tightly stitched into society,” she wrote. “As a white person, I have benefited from this. Whilst we might feel that, as individuals, we’re working hard internally to be anti-racist, we need to work harder externally to actively take the structural and institutional racism around us.”
“I’m still learning about the many ways I unconsciously support and uphold a system that is structurally racist. Over the coming days, I’ll be using my bio link and Twitter to share links to resources I’ve found useful for my own researching, learning, listening,” she continued. “I see your anger, sadness and pain. I cannot know what this feels like for you but it doesn’t mean I would try to.”
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