A lot of people are crucifying Kim Kardashian for her recent blog post. The 33-year-old reality star took to her personal blog to share her feelings on how motherhood has changed her perception of the world. Most notably, she says that it has made her aware of the prevalence of racism and discrimination. She writes:
“To be honest, before I had North, I never really gave racism or discrimination a lot of thought. It is obviously a topic that Kanye is passionate about, but I guess it was easier for me to believe that it was someone else’s battle. But recently, I’ve read and personally experienced some incidents that have sickened me and made me take notice. I realize that racism and discrimination are still alive, and just as hateful and deadly as they ever have been.”
“I feel a responsibility as a mother, a public figure, a human being, to do what I can to make sure that not only my child, but all children, don’t have to grow up in a world where they are judged by the color of their skin, or their gender, or their sexual orientation.”
[Image: Vogue]
Many sites are bashing Kim for just now “discovering” that racism exists and being ignorant to the struggle that so many people, including her husband-to-be Kanye West, confront on a daily basis. Some people are shocked by her apparent stupidity and add this to the list of reasons Kim is the scourge of the Earth and dumbing down our nation, and blah, blah, blah.
I am no Kim Kardashian fan by any stretch of the imagination, and I usually join in on the chorus of, “Why is she famous again?!” However, I am going to take a stand for her here. In fact, I applaud her for this post.
Kim never said she wasn’t aware that racism existed. She said she never gave it “a lot of thought” and that she guessed “it was easier for [her] to believe that it was someone else’s battle.” There are so many people who still have that sentiment, especially coming from a place of privilege like she has. For those of us who have had more exposure or who have chosen to keep ourselves informed about things like this, her realization may seem ignorant, but we have to remember how many people never make it to that point. So many people live and die not realizing that they have sat comfortably in a bubble of privilege.
[Image: Instagram]
I’ve heard people say, “Oh, just because she has a mixed baby now she wants to be informed about race.” So? No, really, so what? Since when does it matter what the impetus for enlightenment is? There are many before Kim, and I’m sure there will be many after her, who don’t truly understand the pain of racism and discrimination until it hits close to home. Having multiple partners of another race can help for some, but it’s a whole different ball game when your child is part Black. We should not condemn Kim for waking up to what’s going on. That’s counter-intuitive. We should celebrate those who gain deeper understanding and pull them into our conversations to further that understanding. That’s the only way to change everyone’s perceptions. Yes, Kim is really late to this party — but dammit at least she got here.
So Kim, bravo to you for realizing you have been ignorant about a very real and ugly truth. Keep pushing forward to gain new insight, despite what people may say to and about you. It is important for you to try to understand, as much as possible, as the life partner of a Black man and the mother of a half-Black daughter, but most importantly, as a human being.
[Image: Vogue]