Zoë Kravitz: ‘I struggled with accepting myself as black’

May 17, 2017

Zoë Kravitz opened up in an interview for the June issue of Allure about racism and Bill Cosby, among other things, as well as her new film, Rough Night.

Kravitz, the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, spoke to her mother’s thoughts on the scandal surrounding beleaguered comedian Bill Cosby, saying, “I think she didn’t like hearing that. It bummed her out. Though she didn’t seem incredibly surprised about it. I don’t think she wants to hear about anyone being abused, especially by someone she spent so much time with. It feels sh*tty. You want to shower.”

She also spoke out about the racism that still exists in America.

“Racism is very real, and white supremacy is going strong. I am definitely mixed. Both my parents are mixed. I have white family on both sides. The older I get, the more I experience life, I am identifying more and more with being black, and what that means — being more and more proud of that and feeling connected to my roots and my history. It’s been a really interesting journey because I was always one of the only black kids in any of my schools. I went to private schools full of white kids,” she said.

“I think a lot of that made me want to blend in or not be looked at as black. The white kids are always talking about your hair and making you feel weird. I had this struggle of accepting myself as black and loving that part of myself. And now I’m so in love with my culture and so proud to be black. It’s still ongoing, but a big shift has occurred. My dad especially has always been very connected to his history, and it’s important to him that I understand where I come from.”