After the fatal stabbing of Nia Wilson in Oakland, CA on Sunday (Jul .22), Anne Hathaway took to Instagram to speak on the vicious murder of the 18-year-old in Oakland, CA this past Sunday (Jul .22). Following the senseless incident, the Ocean’s 8 actress released a poignant and much-needed statement and questioned— the often-dismissed danger of white privilege.
“The murder of Nia Wilson—may she rest in the power and peace she was denied here—is unspeakable AND MUST NOT be met with silence,” she wrote. “She is not a hashtag; she was a black woman and she was murdered in cold blood by a white man.”
“White people—including me, including you—must take into the marrow of our privileged bones the truth that ALL black people fear for their lives DAILY in America and have done so for GENERATIONS,” she continued. “White people DO NOT have equivalence for this fear of violence.”
Wilson was onboard a BART train with her sister Lehtifa, when she was stabbed to death. Her 26-year-old sister also suffered severe injuries. Luckily, the suspect was taken into custody by authorities on Tuesday (Jul. 24).
At the end of Hathaway’s statement, she attempted to decipher the issue and what an Anglo-Saxon identity means to the world.
“Given those givens, we must ask our (white)selves—how “decent” are we really? Not in our intent, but in our actions?” she questioned. “In our lack of action? Peace and prayers and JUSTICE for Nia and the Wilson family xx”
Kudos to Hathaway for is using her white privilege to leverage a valuable discussion on the importance of questioning and dissecting how detrimental that power is.
READ MORE: #JusticeForNia: 5 Facts About The Murder Of Nia Wilson