keke-palmer
*These days, being Keke Palmer can get you some negative feedback on social media.
The “Just Keke” host found this out firsthand when she weighed in on the Michael Brown shooting and resulting protests on Twitter.
According to NicoleBitchie.com, Palmer received “extreme backlash” when she posted the following tweet, which questioned the reason why people were killing and causing harm as she advised her followers to stop using race to separate themselves:
“Oh my Lord, bless Mike Brown & his family. This is terrible. Why y’all? Why do we do this to each other. Why do we hate each other, harm each other, kill each other? We are brothers & sisters y’all. All colors! Peace is the answer. Stop separating yourself through race. That’s the issue. We actually think that’s a thing, we are ALL family! You don’t stop hate with hate. Come on now, MLK taught us that. If you want to end racism, you start by not generalizing/grouping ppl w/ the thought that they all believe the same things.”
Aware of the backlash, Palmer addressed her tweet during an interview with the Huffington Post, as she confessed that she might have been naïve when speaking on what was going on. In addition, the actress mentioned that she planned to visit Ferguson to get a better understanding of what was going on:
“Being naïve is never anything to be ashamed of, because I believe me being naïve [to racism] is what has allowed me to do all the things that I can because if I believe in and quote what’s realistic then I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now. I simply wouldn’t be ‘Cinderella’ on Broadway, I wouldn’t have ‘Just KeKe,’” she stated.
“I wouldn’t have done any of the things that I’ve done. So I think that’s a play on people’s ideas of what they can’t do and what they believe is possible. And for me, I believe everything is possible. That’s the way that I was raised, and from what I’ve been able to do I’ve seen that to be true that your reality is what you make it.”
Regarding her opinion of the Mike Brown situation, Palmer said:
“As far as what’s going on with Mike Brown, I spoke up on that, because unproductive outrage has never gotten us anywhere. Even with MLK and everything that he did for black people…all he spoke about was unity, because throwing hate and being angry, and violence, that doesn’t give us peace and equality. That’s like having sex in order to get your virginity. It’s just the complete opposite thing to do.
“I don’t have all the answers and there are no quick fixes for things like this. But uniting and coming together on one clear message and trying to get that message across is much better than us all being everywhere and fighting against one another and coming from all different sides. That’s never going to get us anywhere.
“I’m very excited to see what can be done and if I can really get involved, and how we can unite one another. That’s what I always believe is the way to go. Uniting us all. Not just black people, but everybody that’s coming to talk the same message,” continued Palmer as she revealed the real . “It’s unfortunate when things like this happen, but hopefully it can wake people’s eyes up and let them know that we need to unite as a people.
“No one person can do anything. So, going further into my statement of ‘taking it to the streets,’ if you feel strongly, organize things that can best execute your message. That’s what I mean by that. Being angry and outraged freezes train of thought. We all have to take a breath outside of our pain and figure out a way to be heard. Everybody, anybody, can make a difference if they try.”
Palmer made good on visiting Ferguson. This past weekend, the 20-year-old entertainer attended a peaceful protest that turned hectic when she was later shot at by the police and her mom was hit by a rubber bullet.
“God bless this woman right here! (See the video below.) I met her out here in Ferguson tonight, & she was telling me about her violent run in with the police not too long ago. She was in an accident & called the police, & allegedly THIS is what SHE was put through. She was out here PEACEFULLY protesting, and after they threw tear gas at us, my mom was shot in the neck with pellets, they shot at us with REAL guns (a young man actually got hit), she came back & picked my mom, my friend & I up & took us home. God bless you sister & thank you! When you’re peaceful you play as a mirror to people’s wrong actions, instead of a distraction.”