Natalie Portman has voiced her support for the Defund The Police movement.
The 39-year-old actress was initially apprehensive about the movement – which came amid calls for a new system of ensuring public safety in the US – because of her "white privilege", but Natalie has now admitted to having had a change of heart.
Taking to Instagram, the Oscar-winning star wrote: "When I first heard #defundthepolice, I have to admit my first reaction was fear. My whole life, police have made me feel safe. 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. Police are the 6th leading cause of death for black men in this country. These are not isolated incidents. They are patterns and part of the system of over-policing of black Americans. 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. (sic)"
Natalie is "grateful" to leaders of the Movement For Black Lives, and has explained what prompted her stance to change.
The Hollywood actress continued: "I am grateful to the leaders in the @mvmnt4blklives who have made us question the status quo. And who have made us imagine, what a world could be like in which we invested in nourishing people; (in their education, healthcare, environment, shelter)– rather than putting all of our money into punishment. (sic)"
The ‘Jackie’ star recognised she was wrong and is now determined to speak out in support of the black community, after spending the majority of her life listening to her own gut instinct.
Natalie explained: "I’ve gotten to the age in my life, where if my gut feels uncomfortable, I take the situation as wrong. But this concept initially made me uncomfortable because I was wrong. Because the system that makes me feel comfortable is wrong."