Jada Pinkett Smith dedicated the June 3 episode of Red Table Talk to women who have been affected by gun violence, as she spoke to Lauren London about what the young mother-of-two teaches her sons — Kameron, 10, and Kross, 3 — about police officers. “So you’re raising two Black boys. As a mother, what are some of your precautions or some of your messaging?” Jada asked Lauren. The stunning model, 35, simply told Jada, “What I instill in them is more about the police. How to handle yourself when you get pulled over. That’s more of my education, protecting them being Black men in America.”
Now, Los Angeles and major cities across the globe are the sites of ongoing protests against police brutality and racial injustice, something Lauren has clearly discussed with her young sons. Since the May 25 death of unarmed Black man George Floyd at the hands of police officers, millions of people across the world have marched in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. In Los Angeles, stars like Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, and Halsey have been seen among protesters.
With her platform, Jada chose to dedicate her talk with Lauren to women across the country who have been the targets and collateral damage of gun violence. “Nearly 1 million women alive today have reported being shot. The beautiful Breonna Taylor was struck by eight bullets while sleeping in her own home,” Jada said in the episode. Breonna Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was killed on March 13 when members of the Louisville Metro Police Department shot her in her sleep. The officers responsible have yet to face charges.“As we are witnessing our Black men being murdered in the streets, very rarely do we talk about the women who are left behind grief-stricken and shattered,” Jada said. “George Floyd has a six-year-old daughter, a sister, a girlfriend. Ahmaud Arbery [has] a mother, a sister. Both men have countless heartbroken women – aunts, cousins, friends – in their lives who love them. We are dedicating this Red Table Talk to how gun violence affects women.”