Thandie Newton: We must see racism from the female perspective

BEVERLY HILLS -- At Essence's annual Black Women in Hollywood awards luncheon, held Thursday at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, prominent black stars, both male and female, discussed diversity, inclusion and racism in Hollywood and the country at large as they presented awards. But Thandie Newton didn't just discuss women of color. She wore their names on her t-shirt.

The actress, 43, arrived at the event wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Black women are killed by police too," and listed their names. The bottom of the shirt read "Can you see them? #SayHerName."

"The reason I wanted to wear it today is that I think that in film we have such an incredible influence over the public, and influence in the world," Newton told USA TODAY on the red carpet of the event, explaining that the t-shirt was given to her by the African American Policy Forum. "And the stories we tell have the power to change people’s lives. And the women that are named on this t-shirt are dead women who were dead at the hands of police enforcement in this country. These women are our women. They are our fans. ... They’re no longer alive and in death they have got to have the power they deserve. And I just think that for the good of humanity as a whole, not just for people of color, we have got to dig out the poison of violence against women of color by our law enforcement."

Newton went on to say that the issue of police violence and the Black Lives Matter movement aren't just about male victims.

"It’s not just men that this happens to," she said. "But, you know, (women) need our own Fruitvale Station, we need our own 12 Years a Slave if we want to get historical. Because we have to see racism from the perspective of the female. We have to have a female perspective on that because really, cruelty against a woman is species suicide. And that’s why I see it all as being beneficial to humanity, not just to people of color."

She also noted that Hollywood has power to effect change through the influence of film.

"And I just think that we in the film industry have such an incredible privilege and influence and if we don’t use it for the betterment of our children and the future I don’t know why we’re doing it at all," Newton explained. "And I do really powerfully feel that it’s up to writers and directors and actors to be more progressive and more careful about protecting the story of women. We don’t hear them, we don’t see them enough, and it’s only because there aren’t enough. It’s always the male perspective, always, always, and I’m sorry, if we’re going to write our future that we want to step into we’ve got to make sure that the women’s perspective is as loud and clear as the men’s."