As the fourth most-followed person on the widely popular app, one cannot deny that she has a massive platform. In fact, Jenner’s influence is so massive that the Surgeon General recently asked the reality tv star to urge her followers to stay at home amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Though Jenner did adhere to the Surgeon General’s request, she’s not known for speaking out often about important issues. While she will occasionally post about crises on her Instagram story, her social media presence is usually all about her luxurious lifestyle.
When the young billionaire isn’t promoting her brands (Kylie Cosmetics and Kylie Skin), she is posting pictures from her everyday life which is chock full of vacations, mansions, and designer clothes and accessories.
But, Jenner recently broke her traditional protocol to address a very important issue. After being moved by the murder of George Floyd, she took to her Instagram to speak out against racism.
In a rare move, she elected to post on her feed rather than on her story, which expires after 24 hours. Jenner first led with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “There comes a time when silence is betrayal,” the quote reads. Jenner then expressed some of her feelings about the matter and why she was finally choosing to speak out against racism.
“Since watching the most devastating and completely heartbreaking video showing the murder of George Floyd earlier this week I haven’t been able to get his face and his words out of my mind.
I’ll never personally experience the pain and fear that many Black people around the country go through every day but I know nobody should have to live in fear and nobody deserves a death like George Floyd and too many others,” Jenner began on her post.
The 22-year-old continued on to share that she feared for her two-year-old daughter, Stormi Webster. As Stormi (and six out of nine of Jenner’s nieces and nephews) are half-Black, Jenner is aware of how racism will impact them in the future. Jenner concluded the Instagram message by encouraging people to continue to speak out against racism and hate crimes.
“Speaking up is long overdue for the rest of us. We’re currently dealing with two horrific pandemics in our country, and we can’t sit back and ignore the fact that racism is one of them. I fear for my daughter and I hope for a better future for her. My heart breaks for George Floyd’s family and friends. Don’t let his name be forgotten.
Keep sharing, keep watching, keep speaking out because it’s the only way we can come together to help bring this much-needed change and awareness. Rest In Peace, George Floyd. 🕊🤍 ” Jenner concluded in her post.
Naturally, Jenner’s post got mixed reactions. Some people championed her for speaking out and using her platform for good. Others felt that her post was too little too late and felt that she only spoke out when racism threatened to personally affect her family’s future. But, no matter what the reaction to Jenner’s message, this particular post is far more important and impactful than what she usually posts.