Making her voice heard. Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg took to Twitter on Monday, April 27, to weigh in on the ongoing conflict in Baltimore, Md.
The actress, 16, who has made a name for herself as a sharp and informed rising star, touched on the violence and conflict in the mid-Atlantic city. Baltimore is famously facing widespread unrest as protests take place across the metropolis in response to the death of 25-year-old resident Freddie Gray at the hands of police officers.
“My prayers go out to all my brothers & sisters in Baltimore. This battle is hard but crucial. The revolutionary youth will change the world,” Stenberg began, sending a message to those who are protesting.
“Don’t condemn our anger,” she added. “Don’t denounce our pain as savage. What’s savage is the cruel inhumanity and brutality of the police. Condemn that.”
While many of the protests were peaceful, pockets of violence and rioting sprung out in the crowds and were highlighted by national television stations. Conversations continued from the coverage, as many saw the footage as an incomplete picture, while others took issue with the violence.
Cedric the Entertainer spoke to the conflict, tweeting on Monday, “Hate to see Baltimore going thru what my hometown of Ferguson went thru. Change is necessary, but violence and destruction is not the answer.”
Russell Simmons chimed in with a message of hope, writing, “Just came out of meditation + focused all of my energy towards letting the right path be illuminated for the city of Baltimore.”
Stenberg, who earned big-name credits as Rue in The Hunger Games, made headlines earlier this month when she spoke out on cultural appropriation. In a highly circulated video called “Don’t Cash Crop on My Cornrows,” the high school-aged star commented on the adopting of “black culture as a way of being edgy and gaining attention.”