Viola Davis Says White Women Need To “Get To Know” The Struggles Of Women Of Color: “When You’re Educated About Anything, Your Perspective Changes.”

Viola Davis says if white women want to help and understand the challenges women of color face, all they have to do is “get to know [them].”

Davis is an award-winning actress who frequently steps outside of her career as a performer to educate and promote awareness of social issues that affect women and people of color. When it comes to facing adversity within any professional setting, women have a much tougher battle to fight than men. But those challenges are greatly increased if you are a woman of color. While Davis acknowledges that all women face issues, she also mentions the privilege white women possess.

Davis sat down for an interview with human rights activist #ZainabSalbi as a part of a new Yahoo! News series called “Through Her Eyes.” When asked what Davis would say to white women who want to be educated and make a positive change in the world for women of color, Davis says they should “Get to know me.” “Know that my journey is different than your journey,” she continued. “But we’re in it together. We really are. When someone is suffering through something, you gotta take it very personally.”

“Sometimes privilege is seen very differently,” Davis said. “Sometimes, for instance, beauty and how femininity is seen. The sort of ‘damsel in distress’ and the woman that needs to be saved sometimes does not have the face of a woman of color.” Davis says having knowledge is a key factor in making positive change. “I think that when you’re educated about anything, your perspective changes.”

Thoughts?