Emma Watson, 30, joined the Black Out Tuesday social media campaign on June 2, 2020 by posting three white squares and three black squares with white margins on Instagram. Many netizens did not appreciate it while her supporters reminded them of how she has been using her voice to speak up against racism.
Watson did not respond to the critics but she wrote a statement about racism. The British actress, model and activist also paid tribute to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd with an artwork by Dr. Fahamu Pecou, an African-American visual artist and scholar who she referred to as her dear friend.
“There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is not acknowledged nor accounted for,” Watson stated. “White supremacy is one of the systems of hierarchy and dominance, of exploitation and oppression, that is tightly stitched into society. As a white person, I 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 tackle the structural and institutional racism around us,” Watson continued. “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 (Instagram) bio link and Twitter to share links to resources I’ve found useful for my own researching, learning, listening,” the actress added. “I see your anger, sadness and pain. I cannot know what this feels like for you but it doesn’t mean I won’t try to.”
Born in Paris, France on April 15, 1990, Watson raised in Oxfordshire, England. In May 2014, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Brown University in in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
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