In the quest for full inclusivity, Laverne Cox says the world is getting there, but there's still "a long way to go."
Appearing remotely on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the star of Orange Is the New Black discussed the attention that is now being paid to Black transgender lives within the Black Lives Matter movement.
"The [Black Trans Lives Matter movement has] been going on for a very long time and I think we've just—people are starting to pay attention and we have a long way to go, right," she told host Kelly Clarkson. "Unfortunately, in the month of June there have been murders of several trans people."
She continued, "It's a movement that's been going on for a long time...We're beginning to understand that when we say Black Lives Matter that has to include all Black lives. Just because I'm transgender doesn't mean that I'm not affected by the same racism that the rest of the world is also affected by."
Cox reiterated, "We're getting there. We have a long way to go in terms of really being fully inclusive of everyone, but that's the country, that's the world."
As for what gives Cox hope in these times, it's actually who. "Politicians don't always give me hope, but the people give me hope," she told Clarkson.
"After what happened to George Floyd, I think that if people hadn't taken to the streets and hadn't mobilized then…I'd feel horrible," she said. "And I thought after we saw Mike Brown and Tamir Rice and Trayvon Martin that something would change."
However, "I have hope because the people have mobilized and the people are not relenting," the Emmy nominee said. "I think we need to not relent and we need to continue to make our demands and I feel emboldened and inspired by everyone out there marching, so keep marching, keep protesting peacefully and keep spreading love and awareness and keep demanding justice."
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