At only 12 years old “This Is Us” actor Lonnie Chavis seems to have a grasp on how differently a Black person compared to others has to navigate through society because of racism.
Chavis painted a picture of his sense of understanding in an open letter that he wrote in part to help him process his emotions following the death of George Floyd of Minneapolis.
America shows me that my Blackness is a threat … I actually didn’t learn about being Black and what that would mean for me until I was 7 years old.
Another intense moment where race seemed to be involved came when Chavis turned 10 years old.
“After coming home late with my family from my birthday party, a Long Beach police officer twisted my dad’s arm behind his back and pulled him from our doorstep with the door opened, claiming he was being detained for a traffic ticket,” Chavis explained.
