Black Hollywood is not here for mainstream shaming of those mobilizing for a cause. After the funeral of Freddie Gray—the 25-year-old who died of spinal injuries after being apprehended by police—the people in his native Baltimore took to the streets to demand justice for his death. While there were many peaceful protesters on the streets, the scene did get ugly. Property was broken into and burned down. Swarms of police were met with passionate resistance and loud demands for answers.
However, what some mainstream news channels reporting on Baltimore have been labeling as “savage” rioting is a necessary boiling point after years of systematic neglect. Hunger Games starlet Amandla Stenberg urges the masses not to dismiss the anger and pain driving the movement, but instead turn the finger on police brutality.
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My prayers go out to all my brothers & sisters in Baltimore. This battle is hard but crucial. The revolutionary youth will change the world.
— Amandla Stenberg (@amandlastenberg) April 28, 2015
Don’t condemn our anger. Don’t denounce our pain as savage. What’s savage is the cruel inhumanity and brutality of the police. Condemn that. — Amandla Stenberg (@amandlastenberg) April 28, 2015
She even took to her Tumblr to reblog various images and statements pertaining to the riots. This comparison to a scene out of Hunger Games is particularly fitting:
Photo Credit: Getty Images