Actress Anne Hathaway has slammed white privilege after the recent California train stabbing that left a black teenager dead.
The Oscar-winning actress took to Instagram to honor 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who was randomly stabbed Sunday, along with her 20-year-old sister who survived, by a white man while at a train station in Oakland.
But Hathaway’s words went far beyond condolences, as it was a call to action for the white community recognize their privilege and speak out in the face of racism.
‘We must ask our (white)selves- how ”decent” are we really? Not in our intent, but in our actions? In our lack of action?’ she wrote.
Anne Hathaway took to Instagram to honor 18-year-old Nia Wilson who was stabbed to death in Oakland, California, in a ‘random and unprovoked’ act
The Oscar-winning actress condemned white privilege, writing white people do not have the ‘equivalence for this fear of violence.’
Hathaway’s post read: ‘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 is not a hash tag; 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.
‘White people DO NOT have equivalence for this fear of violence.’
She ended the message with the hashtags ‘#BlackLivesMatter, #AntiRacist, #NoExcuse, #SayHerName, and #EarnTheRightToSayHerName, before noting that the comments would be closed for the post.
The hashtag ‘SayHerName’ was started for Wilson after the July 22 tragedy.
Many other celebrities have offered their support for the family through this dark time, including actresses Reese Witherspoon and Viola Davis who tweeeted: ‘You know…..at what point will it stop? I’m getting tired of the heartbreak.
‘Tired of needing to organize rally’s to convince people that our lives matter. To the killer…I will NOT say your name. To Nia…we will shout yours from the rooftops!!!’
The left photo shows John Lee Cowell, 27, the suspect arrested in the stabbings of two sisters at a BART station in Oakland, California. The victim who died, Nia Wilson, 18, is pictured right on Facebook
The hashtag #SayHerName is in honor of Nia and has been used by celebrities including actress Viola Davis who are speaking out about violence against the black community
Police in Northern California arrested John Lee Cowell, 27, as the sole suspect in the deadly train stabbing.
Cowell, who is a felon on parole, is believed to have struck Nia and her 20-year-old sister Latifa Wilson with a knife as a ‘random and unprovoked’ act of violence.
Latifa was also hospitalized and is in stable condition after being injured in the attack that took place at MacArthur Station of the Oakland Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).
BART police arrested the Cowell around 6.45pm Monday after they received an anonymous tip from another subway rider.
Surveillance footage shows Cowell at the time he ‘rapidly struck’ the two young women as they departed the train. Not long after, the suspect was spotted as he fled the scene and changed clothes.
Police found a bloody knife at the scene shortly after that was believed to be used in the attack.
The victims’ cousin, Ebony Monroe, said Wilson was a ‘beautiful, sweet person’ who loved her cousins, makeup and fashion
Authorities have not determined a motive for the attack and have no evidence thus far that suggest it was racially motivated.
‘Up to this point we don’t have any information that was race-motivated, but we can’t discard it,’Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Chief Carlos Rojas said.
Further investigation is currently underway.
The father of the two women talked with KTVU in a brief, emotional interview, after he was called to the scene.
‘I want justice for my daughter,’ he said, with his eyes welling up with tears, seemingly in disbelief.
‘I want justice for my daughter. Please help me get justice for my daughter.’
Wilson attended Oakland High School, Harris said.
On Sunday, family members gathered together at MacArthur station, embracing and crying, as police worked to recover whatever evidence they could at the train stop.
The victims’ cousin, Ebony Monroe, said Wilson was a ‘beautiful, sweet person’ who loved her cousins, makeup and fashion.
‘She needs her justice,’ Monroe said. ‘She was just an innocent kid, and she didn’t deserve this. And he did this for no reason.’