Charlize Theron Wants Her 2 Black Daughters to 'Grow Up In A World Where They See Themselves'
Charlize Theron adopted her daughter Jackson in 2012 and later adopted another daughter August in 2015
Charlize Theron is calling for better representation in Hollywood because she wants her two black daughters to "see themselves" represented in both cinema and "in life."
The Bombshell actress, 44, joined Variety's The Big Ticket podcast where she discussed race and gender inclusivity in Hollywood and how she wants her adopted daughters — Jackson, 8, and August, 4, — to "feel they belong."
"I’m a mom to two small Black girls and I want them to grow up in a world where they see themselves, where there is an awareness that they can be whomever they want to be because they see it,” Theron shared. “And that’s not just in cinema, that’s in life, too."
She continued, “I want to surround them in a world where they feel they belong and they can shine and they can live to their full potential.”
During her chat, the Mad Max: Fury Road star also gave some advice on how she believes the lack of inclusion in Hollywood can be addressed.
Theron said: "I think call them out, and I think we’re at a place now where we feel brave enough to do that … If we have to involve some shaming, then that’s what we have to do. If we are silent, even if we’re not the ones not making the right decisions, and we are silent, we are just as culpable, and we have to use our voices.
She added, "And if we know of situations where we know people are not fully doing the potential that they have to reimagine this world that we’re talking about, and they’re not actively and proactively doing that, then we have to call them out on it. That is our responsibility."
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Theron also recently shared that she's been having "really hard, honest conversations" with her children about racial injustice amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests that continue to sweep the nation.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Theron shared, "As a parent, it's been a difficult time. I think all parents, we want to believe we have time. And the world has kind of shaken me in a way that I realize that I don't have time.
"There was a moment where I felt like a little piece of my children's innocence was taken from them during this period because I had to sit down with them and have really, really hard, honest conversations about some really ugly things in our world today that they need to know. I want them to know because I want to raise two little warriors."
To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:
- Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.
- ColorofChange.org works to make the government more responsive to racial disparities.
- National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help Black youth succeed in college and beyond.