Natalie Portman is the latest celebrity to call for defunding the police in the wake of George Floyd’s heinous murder by Minneapolis police officers on May 25.
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The Academy Award-winning actress revealed she was hesitant to support the movement at first but clarified the difference between reforming and defunding the police.
“When I first heard #defundthepolice, I have to admit my first reaction was fear,” she wrote on Instagram Monday.
“My whole life, police have made me feel safe,” Portman added, before breaking down and owning up to why her initial gut reaction was not right.
“But that’s exactly the center of my white privilege: the police make me as a white woman feel safe, while my black friends, family and neighbors feel the opposite: police make them feel terror. And for good reason.”
The 39-year-old mother of two went on to describe an alarming statistic regarding police violence in the U.S.: “Police are the 6th leading cause of death for black men in this country,” to which she claims “are not isolated incidents.”
The “Black Swan” star continued, “Reforms have not worked. Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered, is one of the most progressive police forces in the country, having undergone extensive anti-bias training.”
Portman rallied for redirecting police funds into other programs that specialize in “nourishing people,” such as “education, healthcare, environment, shelter” instead of funneling money “into punishment.”
She also owned up to her initial complacency and vowed to challenge her gut reactions in the future, adding “the system that makes me feel comfortable is wrong.”
The longtime Dior spokesmodel also curated a lengthy slideshow of resources for fans, such as a list containing relevant reading material and ways to become involved with the movement.