10 Times Jesse Williams Perfectly Summed Up Our Feelings About Race

Referred to as the Harry Belafonte of our generation, Jesse Williams is the voice of a revolution. The Grey’s Anatomy actor captured our attention years ago with his strong opinions when he penned a thought-provoking critique of Django Unchained for CNN, and ever since, we haven’t been able to look away. Williams has been unapologetically outspoken amidst the Black Lives Matter movement, tweeting powerful essays and speaking out on Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland and the countless other brothers and sisters we have lost in between. Take a look at 10 powerful tweets and interviews that have us applauding the former high school history teacher.

Blackness has never been a threat to whiteness. Whiteness has always actively threatened blackness. This is not a matter of opinion.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) October 28, 2014

When “men” violently assault women, your reaction is never “Well, girls hit girls all the time.” That would be repugnant. Consider why.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) October 28, 2014

What about black pain is so fun to you? From where is that joy derived?

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) October 28, 2014

You know what’s worse than living under constant siege by inane, anti-intellectual, contortionist sloganeering & policy? Being KILLED by it.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 13, 2015

If we view rioting as a mass temper tantrum expressed through violence & property damage, white sports fans do that monthly. #Tradition

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

17 WE DO NOT BEGIN AS POLICE PROPERTY, to be freed or detained based on some guy’s mood or feeling. We are not theirs.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015

8 A select segment of Americans are granted the privilege of being able to resist said tyranny, scream at it, punch, shove or elude it.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 22, 2015

The tradition of consequence-free warfare on Black people sets the bar so low that we’re inclined to celebrate the slightest of inclusions.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) July 29, 2015