Selma Blair and Son Hold Memorial for George Floyd: 'We Stood Outside for 8 Minutes 46 Seconds'
Selma Blair is mourning the death of George Floyd — and teaching her son valuable lessons about racial justice.
The actress, 47, said she and her 8-year-old son, Arthur, held a private memorial for Floyd at their home after Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after a white police officer pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck in Minneapolis.
"We stood outside for 8 minutes 46 seconds to just think of what George Floyd means for each of us from where we are," Blair captioned a photo of an outdoor candle. "What he represents also. After a conversation again today about race and fear and sometimes insurmountable financial challenges of black lives, we finally looked at each other after this memorial of 8:46, and he said, 'You wouldn’t live if that happened to me.' "
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A post shared by Selma Blair (@selmablair) on Jun 3, 2020 at 10:21pm PDT
Blair said that her son was "mostly right," but stressed that she would dedicate her life to standing up for injustices.
"I would stand up for people like him for the rest of my life. Would devote my life to nurturing a better future," she continued. "That is what I want for the now and the future of our lives. Black lives. This is what mothers of black lives live with. The sons and fathers and friends. Black lives."
The actress said she's spent the last week educating herself on how to be an "active ally in the fight against systemic racism."
"This grief and concern have pushed me into truly acknowledging and doing everything I can to be an active ally in the fight against systemic racism," she concluded.
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Blair, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, shares son Author with her ex Jason Bleick.
Over the weekend, protests against police brutality and systemic racism unfolded across the country. Some of them have turned destructive and violent, and hundreds have been arrested as they protest.
The Minneapolis police officer responsible for Floyd's death — identified as Derek Chauvin — has been fired and charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Formal criminal charges have also been filed against the three other policemen who were present: Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng.
To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:
•Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.
•ColorofChange.org works to make government more responsive to racial disparities.
•National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help black youth succeed in college and beyond.
