ESSENCE covergirl Keke Palmer is one of countless supporters who made their way to Ferguson, Missouri following the shooting death of Michael Brown by officer Darren Wilson.
When she posted images from her visit, Palmer says she was attacked for being opportunistic. “‘She’s doing this for press!'” she says, mimicking the backlash.
“It’s crazy! It made no sense for me to be doing Broadway, my first time ever, rehearsing, to go to Ferguson. That’s not a smart idea. I already was the first Black Cinderella. Why would I need more press? Why would I mess up my opportunity by doing something that I didn’t need to, unless I really truly wanted to do it?'”
Before her visit, Palmer was criticized for her initial tweets about Ferguson. “We are brothers & sisters y’all. All colors! Peace is the answer,” she tweeted.
She later visited Greater Grace Church in St. Louis over the summer and attended a rally hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton in support of Brown’s family.