Don Cheadle: Returning to normal would be a step back

Los Angeles, July 22 (IANS) Actor Don Cheadle says return to pre-coronavirus state is a step back, and people should brace for a complete reset.

After weeks of anti-racism and anti-police brutality protests amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the actor said that people can’t afford to return to a pre-coronavirus state in the US, while speaking to Conan O’Brien in his late-night show, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

“I think a return to what is normal is actually a step back,” the actor said, adding: “It won’t be just a return, it’ll be a complete reset to something that I don’t think we can afford to do as a community.”

Cheadle shared his thoughts while speaking about the Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of George Floyd in May.

The Oscar nominee, who has had his own negative experiences with police officers, shared that conversations about police brutality and the systematic racism are not new for his family.

The Covid-19 pandemic along with many racially-charged incidents has led to “this sort of boiling point”.

“I think a lot of times what (progress) requires is for us to kind of step out of the way and use that power we have as producers, as people behind the cameras as well as in front of the camera to push it on that end and make sure the non-centered voices get centered, make sure that the people who are not seen get to the front,” he said.

Cheadle likes to use social media platforms to inform fans. “A lot of times, our best work is done when we step out of the way,” he said, adding: “We get the attention and then we shift the light, shift the focus.”

–IANS

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