The 'Black-ish' actress called the recent shooting 'appalling.'
Tracee Ellis Ross is speaking out following the shooting of Jacob Blake. The 47-year-old actress appeared on Wednesday's episode of The Late Late Show With James Corden and reacted to professional athletes protesting their upcoming games.
Blake, a 29-year-old Wisconsin man, was shot in the back multiple times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. The family's attorney stated on Tuesday that doctors believe Blake will be left paralyzed by the incident.
"I say bravo. I think is is a moment to take a stand. The truth is, it is not just in response to Jacob," Ross said of the NBA, WNBA and more athletes' decision to protest. "...It is one of the most American things you can do to use your voice, take a stand. And I think all of us need to."
"This is a moment for the collective voice, for us saying it is enough. I think we have to be honest and clear about what it is, and not normalize it. That's one of the reasons I think the NBA using their voice in that way, like yes, bravo," she continued. "We must continue to do this because we refuse to go back. We have to continue pursuing justice and safe society and a place where you can be at home in your bed and you are safe."
Ross went on to say that meaningful change "requires all of us."
"It requires all of us collectively to use our voices, our hands. Voting is a part of it, protesting is a part of it, being clear about the systemic change that we want to occur is part of it," she said. "We all have a part in this and it can't just be one person or the other."
"Jacob is your brother as he is my brother. We cannot disregard for human life or Black humanity, Black bodies, Black life, to be brutalized and violently disregarded in that way," Ross continued. "And if we all don't stand up it won't change."
Ross continued by stating the importance of voting in the upcoming election.
"Every election is urgent for those that are upset and marginalized and those that are the most vulnerable. Every one of the elections is, because we are still in pursuit of a safe and just society. But this election is urgent in a way that they all are, but on top of that," she said. "There is something very real going on right now and we must participate. I think we have to get informed, so that you know how to participate and which way you about use your hands. I think the only way that this changes is if each of us understand that we shape our future. We each do that. Our future. We are stronger together."
"If we don't get involved, then none of it changes. If we are not appalled by what is happening, what does that say about who we are? That blows my mind. It's appalling. It's heartbreaking. It's infuriating. It' s exhausting. It is terrifying. It's all of those things. So how do we continue?" Ellis continued. "And I personally am looking for those that this is that they do. There are organizers, they have the language, they have the act of what it is that we need to to change where we are at. And so I lean towards those people... There's all of these people that really, that I say like tell us where to go and how to do. But honestly, right now, vote. Vote.
Election Day is Nov. 3, 2020 -- head over to Vote.org to register to vote and to get all the latest information.
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