Jessica Alba opens up about honest conversation she had with her kids about race

Jessica Alba is taking a proactive position when it comes to talking to her kids about what’s happening in the world right now—including the ongoing protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd. The actress and founder of The Honest Company isn’t waiting for her kids to become adults before she sits them down for open, honest, and adult-like conversations about race and injustice. For her, now is the right time to do it."You have to have these conversations that feel difficult when it comes to equality and social justice," she told People in a recent interview. "All these conversations can be had and you can start early with them. I did. Because that's how you're going to give them the fire to make sure that that isn't their reality."[video_embed id='1971623']RELATED: Drake, Beyoncé, and Ellen Pompeo are speaking out against police brutality[/video_embed]Alba, along with her producer husband Cash Warren, want to prepare their three children (Honor, Haven and Hayes) to be able to process the news while also empowering them to believe that they can be part of the change. "When I see all of the hateful, racist activity that has been happening, you realize what really matters," she said. "Honor and Haven are online more than ever, so they're exposed to this. And my kids are black and Mexican so there's a connection to what's happening," she said in reference to her husband Cash, who's African-American, and her own Mexican-American heritage.That societal change, she knows, will take time and will require the rethinking of entire institutions. "It's not happening any time soon and it's so devastating. It's a systemic racism that's in the veins of our criminal-justice system. It's just set up to oppress black and brown and 'other' people." Alba, however, believes that by discussing the issues openly with the next generation can make that change a reality.

 

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The actress, who has been vocal about issues like body shaming in the past, says that her commitment to dismantling prejudices, especially ones that plague her industry, has been a lifelong one that began with her first big role in the series Dark Angel. "From day one, I wanted to prove that in Hollywood you can be a Mexican girl and you can be the girl next door. I always fought against stigmas and stereotypes."[video_embed id='1969215']RELATED: Trevor Noah, Lizzo, Rihanna and more lend their voices to anti-racist chorus[/video_embed]