Natalie Portman has come out in support of the Defund The Police movement, arguing that reforms to law enforcement do not work.
The Black Swan actor took to Instagram on Monday (8 June) to share information on the movement following widespread Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd died after a white policeman knelt on his neck for nine minutes.
The 38-year-old said: “My whole life, police have made me feel safe. But that's exactly the centre of my white privilege.
“The police make me as a white woman feel safe, while my black friends, family and neighbors feel the opposite: police make them feel terror.”
She added that this feeling is “for good reason” adding that, “police are the sixth leading cause of death for black men in this country
Portman continued: “These are not isolated incidents. They are patterns and part of the system of over-policing of black Americans. Reforms have not worked.”
She added that Minneapolis — where George Floyd died — is “one of the most progressive police forces in the country".
But despite the department’s “extensive anti-bias training” they have still been “ineffective in stopping police abuse”.
She said: “I am grateful to the leaders who have made us question the status quo.
“And who have made us imagine, what a world could be like in which we invested in nourishing people; (in their education, healthcare, environment, shelter)— rather than putting all of our money into punishment."
Portman explained that while many believe this movement wants to get rid of the police entirely, it really means, “reducing police budgets (& power) on a local and state level and investing that money directly into poor communities of color through public services.”
The actor also added resources for how you can enact change in your own city, which includes making demands to mayors and city councils to “reject city budgets with expanded & militarized police budgets".
