Natalie Portman Shares Why She Supports Defunding The Police #BlackLivesMatter

CREDIT // SOURCE - Peyton Blakemore 

Like many non-black individuals across the country and around the world, Natalie Portman is checking her privilege, and in doing so, she's become a new supporter of defunding the police.

As explained by John Legend earlier this week, the premise of the growing movement, which continues to pick up steam amidst national Black Lives Matter protests, is all about redirecting government funds to programs that better serve communities in order to "reduce the problems that we ask the police to surveil and contain."

The 39-year-old actress shared her thoughts on defunding the police via Instagram on Monday (June 8), admitting that she was at first hesitant to back the movement. "When I first heard #defundthepolice, I have to admit my first reaction was fear," she wrote. "My whole life, police have made me feel safe. But that’s exactly the center 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. And for good reason. Police are the 6th leading cause of death for black men in this country."

"These are not isolated incidents," Natalie continued. "They are patterns and part of the system of over-policing of black Americans."

The Lucy in the Sky star went on to note how "reforms have not worked," pointing to Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered, as it has "one of the most progressive police forces in the country, having undergone extensive anti-bias training."

"I am grateful to the leaders in the @mvmnt4blklives who have made us question the status quo," she added. "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."

Natalie concluded her post by once again, acknowledging her privilege, saying, "I’ve gotten to the age in my life, where if my gut feels uncomfortable, I take the situation as wrong. But this concept initially made me uncomfortable because I was wrong. Because the system that makes me feel comfortable is wrong. #defendblacklives#defundthepolice."

She also shared additional information on the defund the police movement as well as resources to support it via The Slacktivist.