Idris Elba Says He 'Experiences Racism as Often as He Breathes' | 22 Words

Idris Elba has recently opened up about his personal experiences of racism, and what he had to say has shocked everyone.

Keep scrolling for the full story...

Idris Elba is the latest celebrity to weigh in on the Black Lives Matter movement.

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 The actor, who is known best for his appearances in Marvel films, recently opened up about his own experiences with racism, and fans are completely shocked.

Now, as most of you will be aware by now...

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 The BLM movement is currently more prominent than ever before.

Ever since the death of George Floyd last month, there has been a surge of anger...

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 Racially motivated police brutality has been happening in this country for far too long - Things need to change.

Thousands upon thousands of people have been taking to the streets in protest...

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 And they are all marching for one thing: For the blatant racism and injustice in this country, and the rest of the world, to be brought to an end.

This is only the beginning.

And it's so important that we continue to speak out and use our voices.

Celebrities have been among those paying tribute...

And many have been trying to do their bit to educate their audience.

And this is where we come back to Idris.

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 The British actor has gained huge amounts of fame in the last couple of years, mainly thanks to his roles in blockbusters such as The Avengers and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

He has also enjoyed tremendous success in the world of music...

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 The actor has been regularly spotted DJing in some of the most prestigious nightclubs in Ibiza.

So, understandably, he has accumulated a strong and loyal fanbase over the years...

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 And he is quickly becoming one of the most beloved actors of the decade.

So, many people have been shocked to hear that he has experienced a horrifying amount of racism in his life...

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 So much so, that he describes it being "as often as he breathes."

Last week, Idris and his wife, Sabrina, took part in The Reckoning: The Arts And Black Lives Matter event...

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 In which he opened up about his upbringing and personal experiences with racism.

Idris, who grew up in London, is the child of immigrants.

His late father, Winston, grew up in Sierra Leone, while his mother, Eve, is from Ghana.

He has often credited his parents for his success...

And he has explained in the past how they instilled in him a strong working ethic, telling him, "if you want to make it in this world, you have to be twice as good as the white man."

But, like many immigrant families do...

Idris has experienced his fair share of prejudice over the years.

Now, he has revealed the lasting effects that racism has had on him as a grown man...

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 And it is utterly heartbreaking.

During the live-streamed interview, the actor discussed what it is like to be a black person living in a white world.

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 He explained that the first time black people have "any consciousness" around their skin, "it is usually about racism."

He revealed how racism will affect him for the rest of his life...

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 "That stays with you regardless of whether you become successful or you beat the system."

And he revealed that, despite how successful he has become, the racism has continued.

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 The actor said: "Success has not negated racism for me. Asking me about racism is like asking me about how long I have been breathing."

This is a heartbreaking revelation...

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 But we can only hope that it will help to spur the fight against racism further.

Idris has had a rough couple of months...

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 Keep scrolling to read about his battle with coronavirus, and how his recovery is going.