Anne Hathaway called the fatal stabbing of a young black woman at a subway station in Oakland, California, “unspeakable” while condemning white privilege.
Authorities said a white 27-year-old parolee, John Cowell, faces charges in the July 22 death of Nia Wilson, 18. (Prosecutors are still investigating if Cowell was motivated by hate.)
Hathaway wrote on her Instagram account: “The murder of Nia Wilson — may she rest in the power and peace she was denied here — is unspeakable. She was a black woman and she was murdered in cold blood by a white man.
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“White people — including me, including you — must take into the marrow of our privileged bones the truth that ALL black people fear for their lives DAILY in America,” she continued. “And have done so for GENERATIONS. We must ask our (white)selves — how ‘decent’ are we really? Not in our intent, but in our actions? In our lack of action?”
The Academy Award-winning actress wrote that white people don’t have the “equivalence for this fear of violence.”
A manhunt had been underway for Cowell since the Sunday night attack that killed 18-year-old Wilson and wounded her sister on the platform at the MacArthur BART station.
Asked how a wanted man could have gotten back into the BART system, BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas said he didn’t immediately know, but said the public transportation system is “porous” and large, serving four counties.
Surveillance video on the train and at the station’s platform showed Cowell had been riding the same car as the sisters Sunday, but they did not interact, Rojas said.
As the group got on the platform, Cowell attacked, the police chief said. “It looks like it was an unprovoked, unwarranted, vicious attack,” Rojas added.
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Letifah Wilson said that she, Nia and a third sister had been returning from a family outing Sunday when they were “blindsided by a maniac.”
“I looked back and he was wiping off his knife and stood at the stairs and just looked. From then on, I was caring for my sister,” Wilson told ABC7 News on Monday, speaking outside a family member’s home with a bandage on her neck.
Rojas didn’t provide any motive for what he called a “prison-style attack,” in which Nia was stabbed twice in the neck. He also said Cowell hasn’t been connected with any white supremacist groups but added that “we are going to explore all options and all possibilities.”
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Cowell’s family says he has suffered from mental illness and failed to receive proper treatment. He was released from state prison on May 6 after completing a sentence for second-degree robbery, said Vicky Waters, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Cowell pulled a knife and a replica gun on a supermarket clerk who confronted him over stealing, court records show.
Cowell also had prior arrests that include assault with a deadly weapon, the East Bay Times reported.
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Numerous celebrities have expressed outrage following Wilson’s death. Since the attack, the hashtag #SayHerName has been used on social media to raise awareness about black women who are victims of violence.
Singer Janelle Monae wrote, “You were a sister, a daughter, and meant something important to your entire family and community.”
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Rose McGowan wrote, “Indoctrinated hate is a deadly weapon. #NiaWilson #SayHerName.”
Cougar Town actress Busy Phillips wrote, “My heart is heavy and I promise I will stand with my sisters. I will stand up and scream. I will demand justice for Nia.”
Tracee Ellis Ross wrote, “NIA WILSON//SAY HER NAME Our bodies and our humanity deserve safety and joy.” She also attached a tribute video to Nia from rapper Chika.
Jada Pinkett Smith also shared Chika’s video, writing, “Just landed yesterday back to the states. Been in a bubble. Just catching up. The pain don’t stop. Rest In Peace Nia.”
Scandal actress Kerry Washington thanked Hathaway for her post.
Bernice King, the youngest daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., also tweeted a thank you to Hathaway for the post.
Bruno Mars posted a photo of Wilson.
—With files from the Associated Press
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