Former Nickelodeon star Keke Palmer has called for serious change in an impassioned column written for Variety.
The actress told fans, “I have waited for a revolution, I believe, my entire life” and explained that “sometimes, going against authority is the only remedy for change, especially when we have seen, too often, those authority figures step over the line.”
For those who missed it, the 26-year-old’s statement comes after the tragic death of George Floyd — a 46-year-old, unarmed black man died who died on May 25, in Minneapolis, MN, after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
“We may not all share in the Black experience of this, but I can guarantee you, almost everyone in this country has been oppressed in some form or another. It’s the reality of what happens when the illness of racism becomes validated through the system. It creates even more division, desensitizes us to the humanity of others to the point that so many can be easily blind to sweeping social injustices,” Keke wrote. “I feel it’s like this for many millennials; messages about following rules and staying in line have since evolved into calls to stand up and get others to stand with you, to challenge authority and recognize different life experiences while gathering with others who are like-minded.”
The True Jackson, VP star also addressed her now-viral video, taken at a Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles. Throughout the clip, Keke passionately spoke with members of the National Guard and begged them to “march with us” and “be the change” in the fight against racial injustice and police brutality.
“I chose to join the protests in Los Angeles to bring as much awareness as we can to the injustices in America and fight against white supremacy and what it does to our nation. At one point, I spoke with National Guardsmen who were preventing us from marching past a certain point and challenged them to march with us,” she explained. “In my wildest dreams, they would all march with us without risk of punishment, in the same way that if the whole class walks out of school, no one gets detention for it. If enough of them felt moved to do this, it would offer so much inspiration and impact the movement in such a meaningful way.”
The 26-year-old continued, “While a few guardsmen knelt, for me that isn’t enough. Kneeling has become a mockery of sorts. Kneeling on George Floyd’s neck is what killed him. Now we see police officers kneeling and then, moments later, attacking peaceful protesters. At this point, the kneeling has no meaning.”
Concluding her message, Keke told readers that she believed that “we were born for this” moment.
“We were born to be leaders and grow out of just “following rules” because following rules isn’t enough,” she said. “We are now being called to challenge the rules and to challenge the character of those making them.”
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