As the country mourns the violent white supremacy and neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, many celebrities are taking a stand. They’re celebrating diversity and denouncing hate.
Some have taken their activism to a new level, using social media as an outlet to speak out against racism. Here we’re featuring some of the biggest celebrities who have used their platforms to condemn such acts of violence.
Kal Penn
Kal Penn, an American actor born in India and now living in America, has spoken out against racism in Hollywood. He acknowledges having been the victim of bigotry at some point in his life and feels it’s important for him to speak out against such behavior.
He is the author of You Can’t Be Serious: A Love Story, a memoir which chronicles his early years and struggles as an Indian American growing up in Jersey City, New Jersey. Additionally, it explores his relationship with his partner Josh which began while they were both still in high school.
His parents arrived in the United States with only $8 and relocated to New Jersey during the 1980s, living in an apartment building next door to a white family. Unfortunately, they experienced harassment by young men from their neighborhood. Furthermore, he learned from his father that his grandmother had suffered brain injury as a result of repeated racial abuse and harassment in her hometown.
While pursuing acting, he began to notice that many roles offered to him were stereotypical. These scripts often featured characters such as ‘Gandhi lookalikes’ or ‘foreign students’; in some cases, he was even asked to acquire an accent similar to what the character would speak with.
On Twitter, he shared screenshots of these scripts and decried some as racist. He wrote that while he had been offered these roles, he declined them due to not representing the type of characters he wanted to portray and failing to align with his personal values.
In his speech, Penn emphasized the power of media in creating racially diverse communities. He advocated casting minorities in roles they are best suited for, citing Dr. Fu Manchu and Detective Charlie Chan as two examples of Asian-American characters featured in popular American films.
In his speech, Penn challenged Stanford students to examine American media differently. He encouraged them to consider the social justice issues these shows depict and how they affect people; furthermore, he challenged them to examine their own prejudices and how they shape how they watch TV. Overall, his goal was to foster a more racial and gender inclusive society.
Kumail Nanjiani
After the riots in Charlottesville, celebrities are taking a stand against racism and speaking out on social media. Actors such as Kal Penn and Mark Ruffalo have made it their mission to expose racist speech and condemn racism within politics. Furthermore, they took to Twitter after the violence to urge people to speak out against prejudice and violence.
Kumail Nanjiani, who plays Gilfoyle on HBO’s comedy series Silicon Valley, has long been an outspoken critic of racism in Hollywood and uses his platform to call out discriminatory practices. In his most recent monologue for Saturday Night Live (SNL), he discussed the rise of Islamophobia in America and how humor can be used to address this problem.
He was inspired to discuss this issue because he believed comedians should be just as honest about their race and religion as they are about their politics. This is especially pertinent when performing stand-up comedy, where you have the unique opportunity of using your platform and popularity to bring attention to important topics.
Nanjiani’s comments may be offensive to some, but he stands as an example of those who have used their platforms to speak out against racism. In fact, he has taken his activism even further by using his acting career to raise awareness about these issues and fight against prejudice.
He has become one of the most vocal celebrities on social media when it comes to discussing race and racism in media. Not only has he utilized his Twitter account for this purpose, but he has also made it a point to discuss these topics face-to-face.
Nanjiani has long been critical of the portrayal of black characters in movies. He believes black actors are often stereotyped as bad guys, an issue which he believes has been overlooked by Hollywood.
He even went so far as to claim Hollywood executives are not hiring non-white actors for villain roles. In an interview with Esquire magazine, Nanjiani explained this is because executives believe white actors possess the ideal body type for these roles.
Ashley Park
Following the tragic death of a young black man by a white police officer, many celebrities have spoken out against racism and called for unity. At this year’s 93rd Academy Awards, some award-winners and presenters directly addressed racism while encouraging American viewers to stand together against hate.
George Takei is a renowned activist who has spoken out against racism and discrimination that his family experienced as Japanese immigrants in America. At four years old, his family was sent to an internment camp in Arkansas; these experiences have profoundly shaped how he views race today.
He has a deep-seated commitment to social justice and activism, with his words often heard by many. Additionally, he has many friends who identify as Asian-American and has always been supportive of them.
He is renowned for his activism and stand-up comedy, using his platform to promote his beliefs and encourage people to speak out against hate crimes. While he has long taken a stand against racism, this year he has been especially vocal in light of the violence and racism that took place in Charlottesville.
The actor has long been an outspoken opponent of racism, labeling it “indefensible.” Along with his activism and stand-up work, he has also advocated for Asian-American rights as well as defending those victims of racist violence such as Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson and others.
He was one of the first athletes to speak out against racial discrimination and hate incidents against Asian Americans, posting a video on Instagram where he encouraged fans to stand up against anti-Asian prejudice and make small decisions that can help stop it.
Though it can be disheartening to see so many celebrities of all backgrounds taking a stand against racism, it’s essential to remember that this is nothing new. Sarah Paulson, Aaron Paul, Kristen Bell, Kesha, Justin Theroux and Debra Messing have all joined the movement by vowing to “take responsibility” for any racism in their lives.
Mai Mai
On Sunday night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, actor James Hong made history for his speech against racism. After winning best cast award for his role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Hong recalled the hostile environment Asians faced while still in Hollywood before he began his career.
Hong acknowledged the persistent racial bias in America, yet celebrated his own success in Hollywood and called for more Asian actors to be given roles. Referring to “yellowface,” he stated that it is time for more Asians to be recognized as talented and important actors within Hollywood.
He also highlighted the people of Morgantown, West Virginia for their response to racist skinhead graffiti on a convenience store. There, students painted over the graffiti and demonstrated that they could be active participants in fighting racism.
Mai Mai are a group of armed individuals led by warlords, tribal elders and village heads in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that have joined forces with various local and foreign governments as well as guerillas at different points to fight against various threats. During this conflict, Mai Mai were particularly strong in North and South Kivu bordering Rwanda where they were able to establish an effective and powerful presence.
Armed groups employ a variety of tactics to rule civilians, some based on ethnicity or customs (such as autochthony discourse), others on stateness, spirituality and patronage, while some focus on protection and defense. By invoking existential threats and creating divisions between “sons of the soil” and “foreigners,” these strategies allow Mai Mai to maintain their power and control over civilians.
One of the most dangerous forms of Mai Mai governmentality is when they invoke autochthony as a means to claim “autonomy” for their civilian populations. This strategy has particular potential in areas where ethnic conflict is frequent, such as eastern Congo.
Autochthony discourse is often combined with other tactics, such as exhorting civilians to protect their populations from foreign invaders and providing them with resources to defend themselves. In this way, autochthony discourses play a pivotal role in perpetuating the dynamics of conflict and violence in eastern Congo.
