Regina King on teaching her son about racism: ‘It’s a constant conversation’

‘I think in most black homes, it’s not just a conversation, it’s an ongoing conversation. It never stops.’

Watchmen star Regina King has spoken out about raising a black son in the US, amid the ongoing global protests over the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd in police custody.

In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live, King talked about how systemic racism was discussed in the home with her son, who is now 24 years old.

“I think in most black homes, it’s not just a conversation, it’s an ongoing conversation,” she said. “It never stops.”

Floyd died of asphyxia while being apprehended by police officers; an independent autopsy has ruled the death was a homicide. One officer, Derek Chauvin, was filmed kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes during the arrest.

The incident sparked a wave of protests across 50 US states and other cities around the world, including London and Paris.

King said: “You get to a place, especially when your children are at an age where they are looked at as adults, and the anger that they have – it just compounds, every time something like this happens.

“Another moment that’s telling them that they’re not worthy, they’re not valuable. Their lives aren’t valuable.”

She continued: “Once they walk outside of the comfort of their home, the conversation shifts, every time.”

“You have to find a way to support their feeling and make sure you are letting them know that you hear them and that you do mirror the same sentiment, but you don’t want them to do anything that’s going to put them in a situation where they may not come back home. It’s a constant conversation always.”

Other celebrities have also spoken up about racism in the wake of Floyd’s death, including John Boyega, who delivered an emotional address to protesters in London yesterday.