In late January, Camila Cabello shared a post on her Instagram about the work she’s been doing with La Cultura Cura and the National Compadres Network to work on racial healing and reconciliation. In a lengthy Instagram caption, she let her fans know that she’s “learning & unpacking the ways I have contributed to systems & beliefs that actively oppress others,” an acknowledgement of the racist Tumblr posts from her teen years that resurfaced in late 2019. Aside from hurting and offending fans, the posts were also disruptive and painful for her former bandmate, Normani, who addressed them as “devastating” in February last year.
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Instead of issuing a half-hearted apology and nothing more, Cabello seems to be committed to truly doing the work to undo harm, and that’s pretty commendable. Aside from working on her own internalized racism and seeking healing, Camila also partnered with the Movement Voter Project to launch the Healing Justice Project, an organization that provides funding for “mental wellness resources for activists across the country.” It’s basically a financial support for grassroots social justice advocates, some of recipients so far include Muslim Women For, Freedom Inc., and this week’s spotlight, QLatinx.
Other recipients include Black Leaders Organizing Communities, Faith For Justice, Living United For Change in Arizona, Mass Liberation Arizona, MN350, Southerners On New Ground and Student Advocacy Center of Michigan. Cabello donated the seed money for the initial round of ten grants, which totals around $250,000 and has pledged to match all the funds raised.
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She has certainly done more than most celebrities who get “canceled” and then try to simply resurface a few months later, and it’s pretty inspiring to watch someone want to be held accountable for their past hurtful behavior. Keep checking in on Cabello’s Instagram to learn more about each group, they’re all launching takeovers there to help raise awareness for respective projects.
