Angela Bassett Opens Up About Her Children Experiencing Racism: “It Squeezes Your Heart”

blogged by: @ashleytearra

In only a matter of days, ‘Black Panther’ is set to hit the movie theaters and break long-needed racial barriers for the African-American community in Hollywood.

The film—slated for this Friday, February 16th, will serve as Marvel’s first standalone black superhero feature production, and it is already garnering great acclaim for offering representation that is not often seen in the sci-fi genre.

However, while barriers are continuously being broken on the big screens and beyond the red carpet ropes, we are constantly reminded of the harsh reality that surrounds us on a daily, off-screen… that racism is still very relevant and very real.

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Recently, Angela Bassett—who stars as the ‘Queen of Wakanda’ in the film, sat down with PEOPLE’s Editor-in-Chief, Jess Cagle.

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In the interview, she opened up about the race-related issues that her twin children—Slater (boy) and Bronwyn (girl)—whom she shares with her longtime husband, actor #CourtneyBVance, have experienced, even at the young ages of twelve.

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“Even from the age of four—from preschool. [My children] have had to deal with—as crazy as it seems or sounds, color issues,” Bassett told Cagle. “Or, because they were African-Americans, and whether other kids would play with them or have [an] issue with that.”

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The ‘9-1-1’ actress then suggested that she doesn’t necessarily believe that the children who are demonstrating prejudice-like behavior are born that way.

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“It can’t come from their young minds; it’s something that they’ve heard somewhere. You know?” she stated.

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But, it has all served as an eye-opener for Bassett. She admitted that, as a parent, it’s tough to watch your daughter and/or son go through such a thing.

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“It just makes you gasp, and it squeezes your heart, sometimes, because you never want your kids to go through these sort of pains and issues. You thought it’d be much later, once they get their firm footing of who they are.”