As a mother to six children, Angelina Jolie has had plenty of explaining and anxiety-quashing to do, in light of the current pandemic. The actress has drawn attention to global injustice for a long time, and is known for supporting various causes. A recent interview by Harper’s Bazaar UK reveals how Jolie has been coping during these past few months, and the effect on her family. Her words are particularly revealing and interesting, considering interviews with the star are rare these days.
The actress says she was lucky to travel to the frontlines with the UN for many years, and had many interesting experiences. Also, as the mother of six kids, she is constantly reminded of what is important. However, after nearly twenty years of international work as well as Covid-19 and what is happening in the United States, Jolie finds herself reevaluating the issues within her own country.
Of course domestic and global issues are linked. America is suffering from discrimination and racism, while nearly 70 million people all over the globe have had to flee their homes because of persecution and war.
Angelina herself might be protected by the current system, but bear in mind her 15-year old daughter Zahara was born in Ethiopia and has dark skin. The idea of people being treated differently because of their skin color is abhorrent to Jolie. She understands that good intentions and sympathy are all well and good, but we need to do more to end racism. We need policies and laws which firmly address racism and impunity. There are policy abuses to end, and much more to overhaul including politics and education systems.
When asked how to teach children about racism, Jolie replied that it was important to listen to what people are oppressed actually say rather than assuming you know. We can have sympathy for people who are treated differently based on their skin color, but we cannot pretend to understand how it actually feels unless we have been in their position. There is a lot to learn from history, but there is also a lot we can do now, making changes to end racism and discrimination.
Angelina Jolie enjoys being with her children and also all their pets. She tries to focus on being calm herself so her children do not pick up on any anxiety or stress about the coronavirus or any other issues globally or domestically. She likes to put all her energy into her children. Her daughter Vivienne’s rabbit died during a surgery during the lockdown, so they decided to adopt a couple of disabled rabbits. These animals need to be in pairs. The gentle nature of bunnies has helped the family to focus on caring for them, along with the lizard, snake, dogs and other pets. Angelina’s strong, caring presence is soothing her kids’ fears and anxieties, while the animals are giving them focus and pleasure. Being a mom to so many kids cannot always be easy, but it sounds to us like Angelina is doing a great job.