ON SUNDAY THE 22nd of July, 18-year-old Nia Wilson was waiting in a Bay Area train station with her older sister Latifah, when they were randomly attacked by a white man.
Nia was stabbed multiple times in the neck, and died as a result of her injuries. Latifah detailed the horrific attack to ABC News, where she said that Nia was the “sweetest person on earth, she didn’t do nothing to nobody.”
Nia’s family have said that they consider the entirely unprovoked attack to be a hate crime, and 1,000 activists marched in protest before suspect John Lee Cowell was arrested.
After hearing the news, actress Anne Hathaway took to Instagram to share her thoughts on the incident.
Sharing a photograph of Nia, Anne wrote:
The murder of Nia Wilson – may she rest in the power and peace she was denied here – is unspeakable AND MUST NOT be met with silence. She is not a hash tag; she was a black woman and she was murdered in cold blood by a white man.
Hathaway continued:
White people – including me, including you – must take into the marrow of our privileged bones the truth that ALL black people fear for their lives DAILY in America and have done so for GENERATIONS. White people DO NOT have equivalence for this fear of violence.
Given those givens, we must ask our (white) selves – how “decent” are we really? Not in our intent, but in our actions? In our lack of action? Peace and prayers and JUSTICE for Nia and the Wilson family xxx
Last night, Anne Hathaway shared another Instagram post, stating that she “thought she was ready to post something else”, but she is not.
I am still heart sick over the murder of Nia Wilson and it feels wrong to post something else so soon. All my love and respect for everyone I mentioned in my deleted post stands – but I want to hold the space for Nia for longer. Again, I’m sorry.
Many people have expressed their respect for Anne Hathaway using her platform to raise awareness about the murder of Nia.
Anne Hathaway is real af for this
— mama africa (@thatgirlsalina) July 25, 2018
Nia Wilson was minding her business and got her throat slit open that’s the energy America has towards black people that’s what we gotta worry about on top of the bullshit we might have in our personal lives pic.twitter.com/4rFtyyjtac
Anne Hathaway, I stan for you my unproblematic Caucasian Queen!
— Elle (@EsotericElle_) July 26, 2018
Nothing but respect for my Queen of Genovia Anne Hathaway pic.twitter.com/Oz3JvTVCo1
— Obeehave, B Δ K Spr. 18 (@SylviaObell) July 26, 2018
Anne Hathaway has officially been invited to the cookout she don't gotta bring anything just yaself
— Barbados Slim (@pesty_prophet) July 26, 2018
Anne Hathaway is anti-oppression. That's why she's barely aging. I'm very sure that being a shitty person causes free radicals to ravage your body. I dont event need to talk to a physician or physiologist, it has to be true.
— Jheri Curls For The Girls (@B_Wash5) July 26, 2018
Very thoughtful post on Nia Wilson from Anne Hathaway. This is a strong example of white solidarity. pic.twitter.com/KQGb3bxzbN
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) July 26, 2018
