This boy is only 12 years old but has already clearly experienced more racial profiling and stereotyping than most people will their whole lives. "America paints a very clear picture of how I should view myself. America paints a very clear picture of how I should view myself. No other child could have done justice to the role of Randall as Chavis did. My life matters, but does it? Instead of just questing Gates and getting idea showing he lived there, police arrested him. Home » YOUNG STARS » LONNIE CHAVIS OPENS UP ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES WITH RACISM. Change has got to happen for unarmed Black citizens to not live in fear of being murdered. Lonnie tells us about his thoughts, … Thank you @livekellyandryan, A post shared by Lonnie Chavis (@lonniechavis) on Jun 19, 2020 at 5:23pm PDT. It is a show that is full of emotional roller coasters, tears, laughs and a lot of conversations about hard topics. Many top celebrities in Hollywood have shared their stories of racism and racial injustice, and among those is twelve-year-old This Is Us star Lonnie Chavis. I actually didn’t learn about being Black and what that would mean for me until I was 7 years old.". Being a young Black boy in Hollywood made it even more fearful. America paints a very clear picture of how I should view myself. I was scared for her; I was scared for me. "This is Us" star Lonnie Chavis wrote a letter to his mother to process his emotions after the death of George Floyd and has now shared that letter to the world. America shows me that my Blackness is a threat, and I am treated as such. I thought my parents were for sure going to die going up against the police. Since the show likes to take us on time travels, we get to see Randall as a young boy, and Lonnie portrays him as a young boy perfectly. There's A 'Toy Story' Shoe Collection, WHAT?! At that age, his parents began educating him on what it means to be Black in America with "long talks" and screenings of movies like "Amistad" (1997) and "Malcolm X" (1992). Thank you for visiting. She had to go to her trunk for more paperwork, and I watched the cop hold his hand on his gun as if my mom was a threat. He was told he didn’t need to cry in the scene, but he did. stop killing us! I thought I was a peach man, so my parents educated me on being a Black man really quick with long talks, books and movies like Amistad and Malcolm X. I was overwhelmed with confusion, fear and sadness. https://kellyandryan.com/uncategorized/lonnie-chavis-letter/, This is heart wrenching. It didn’t stop there. He recalls being racially profiled at a San Diego restaurant, accused of trying to steal tips from a cup. It is... Malia Baker of Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club is making positive waves in the industry and proving... LONNIE CHAVIS OPENS UP ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES WITH RACISM, STORM REID TELLS STEVE HARVEY THAT SHE’S “ALWAYS BEEN AFRAID OF THE POLICE”, SKAI JACKSON’S HAIRSTYLIST HELPS HER SHED DISNEY IMAGE, MALIA BAKEER OF NETFLIX’S “THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB” IS ONE TEEN ACTIVIST WHO IS PROUD OF HER NATURAL HAIR, FIVE FATHER'S DAY GIFTS THAT ARE A MUST-HAVE THIS YEAR, website design company in brooklyn - Adhunik Studio. He was told he didn't have to cry for the scene, but he writes, "I was crying for me. Serving up the hottest food trends and the inside scoop on restaurants worldwide. Ashley Is A Stay At Home Mom To Three Beautiful Children. The director and writers told me that they didn’t need me to cry for the scene. Lonnie Chavis is one of the youngest cast members at 12 years old and he plays a younger version of one of the male leads, Randall. Lonnie Chavis debuted from hit drama series of NBC’s This is Us where he played the role of 9 year old Randall while he was 8 years old.This is Us was the top trending series in 2017. 3,928 Likes, 115 Comments - Lonnie Chavis (@lonniechavis) on Instagram: “How my personal letter to my mom got to be seen by the world. Whoever called 911 may not have known him, but police should have as soon as they saw an ID and an address that matched the steps where he was standing. But his real education, he points out, came from the real world. I can recall a time on set when I started crying listening to an actor portray a racist grandmother toward my character. I can.”, How my personal letter to my mom got to be seen by the world. He explains the truth, which is that America has painted a very clear picture of how black children should view themselves. "By the grace of God, they are both still with me, and that racially motivated harassment against my father was dismissed. It is the perfect description of Black Lives Matter and we hope it brings change. He also states that he didn’t even realize he was Black until he was 7 years old.