"All I’m saying is we need them, they need us, we need you, we need each other."
Once again, Jada Pinkett Smith and the ladies of Facebook's Red Table Talk series are not shying away from the difficult conversations.
On Monday, the conversation turned to white privilege and prejudice as Jada was joined by her 18-year-old daughter, Willow Smith, her mom, Adrienne Banfield-Jones, and several guests, including activist Rachel Cargle.
During the discussion, Jada noted the importance of allowing white women to be allies to women of color.
"As women of color, we really have to recognize when white women come in to help that we make room for it,” she said. "Because there’s been a couple of times, like when Anne Hathaway, or…”
Willow then interrupted her, saying, "It’s trust issues,” to which Rachel agreed.
"It is trust issues. I understand that, Rachel. I get it. But at some point, where are we as black women going to be able to recognize an ally?” Jada noted.
Hathaway got some heat last April when she posted a photo of a murdered woman of color, Nia Wilson, to her Instagram account.
“She is not a hash tag; she was a black woman and she was murdered in cold blood by a white man,” Hathaway captioned the image. “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.”
The post sparked such a controversy that Hathaway decided to deactivate the comments section.
During the Red Table Talk, there were some disagreements regarding white women as allies to women of color.
"It’s not a matter of black women saying, ‘Hey, we’re open to you being an ally to us,’” Rachel said. "It’s white women showing up and saying, ‘You have a righteous anger. You’re allowed to be livid at the things we have imposed on you over history.’ … Either [white women are] the hero or they’re the victim. They rarely take responsibility."
As the back and forth continued, Jada pointed out the difficulties some white women face as they try to help women of color.
"I just know we can have a certain kind of demeanor that’s like, ‘Why are you here?’” she said.
"You have to earn that trust,” Willow added. "You have to earn that relationship."
"We’ve talked about that lack of trust because white women have deceived us over and over and over again,” Adrienne agreed.
"I believe that we have to take leaps as well,” Jada said. "All I’m saying is we need them, they need us, we need you, we need each other. We have to be able to sit in a bit of vulnerability to allow for a certain kind of healing to occur.”
This isn’t the first time the family has gotten candid on tough subjects. Watch the clip below for more:
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