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Gabourey Sidibe spoke to People to prove that racism effects everyone, even celebrities. “As a black actress, I have a few social media accounts and every single day I deal with racist comments,”  she said. “Not a day goes by that I don’t have to block someone from calling me a fat n***er,” the actress revealed.

The Empire star also mentioned that the amount of hate she faces not only makes her fear for her own safety, but the safety of Black people everywhere. She said, “There is a long, long way to go and it breaks my heart,” she said. “I’m scared. I’m not just scared for myself, I’m scared for my family, I’m scared for everyone.” Adding, “What I realized, the only difference between the world that I live in and the world my mom grew up in – my mother was born in 1952 – is that we have cell phones. We have cell phones and we have documented proof that there’s no real difference.

She didn’t only speak about the bad though, and went on to praise protesters for their bravery in the face of police brutality and hate. “I have to say, I am just so proud to know all of these people that are standing up – not just black people, but white people, anyone who has a heart really,” she said, also thanking the leaders for putting their safety on the line for the cause. “I am so grateful for the people that are making a change. DeRay [McKesson]. Johnetta [Elzie], we have so many soldiers fighting for us on the field thankfully.”

In fact, despite being a star, and having over 600 thousand followers on Instagram, she has made her account private, possibly as an attempt to keep potential hateful commenters out of her mentions.

It is a sad fact that people are able to feel unsafe even on social media, but it’ll take people like Sidibe who are willing to speak out against it in order to keep the trolls at bay.

 

SOURCE: People | PHOTO: Getty

Gabourey Sidibe Reveals the Horrible Racist Comment She Sees Every Day on Her Social Media  was originally published on globalgrind.com