Camila Cabello has vowed to put in the work after admitting in a lengthy statement last year that she had used ‘ignorant’ and ‘racist’ language in the past.
The 24-year-old Havana singer shared with People that she has been attending, weekly racial healing sessions so she can ‘do better,’ as she spoke about being ‘held accountable’ for her actions.
Cabello made an effort to rectify her behavior — which once included sharing and writing racist memes and slurs on Tumblr — by reaching out to a racial equity group (National Compadres) which she said has made all the difference.
Doing the work: Camila Cabello, 24, revealed that she has been attending racial healing sessions weekly to help her be ‘accountable’ for her actions following self-admitted ‘uneducated and ignorant’ remarks in her past; pictured March 2020
‘It created a space where I was held accountable. You get corrected, you have homework, and you learn. That’s how you move forward. Now I know better so I can do better,’ she shared.
Last year a few months ahead of the enormous Black Lives Matter movement sparked by the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and countless others, Cabello had issued a public apology on social media admitting she had partaken in past ‘hurtful language.’
In the mea culpa she owned up to problematic behavior when she was a teen, most publicly involving her former Fifth Harmony bandmate Normani and internet bullying.
The girl group’s fans came for Normani when they thought she had insulted Cabello by calling her ‘quirky’ in an interview, prompting trolls to send her death threats on top of sharing photoshopped images of her being lynched.
Owning up: Cabello issued a December 2019 statement where she owned up to past racist behavior saying that she was ‘uneducated and ignorant’ while vowing to do better
‘Devastated’: Her Fifth Harmony bandmate Normani found herself on the receiving end of death threats and photoshopped lynching memes, which Camila publicly condemned before she admitted she helped perpetuate some of it; pictured 2018
Cabello seemed to speak out against the intolerable behavior as she tweeted: ‘I won’t tolerate on my timeline any kind of hate, racism, or discrimination towards ANYONE,’ though it came out that she had perpetuated some of them by sharing and liking them.
She later owned up to being guilty of similar antics in the past in the apology, which left Normani ‘devastated, as she told Rolling Stone, ‘It took days for her to acknowledge what I was dealing with online and then years for her to take responsibility for the offensive tweets that recently resurfaced.’
In her December 2019 apology, Cabello wrote, ‘When I was younger, I used language that I’m deeply ashamed of and will regret forever. I was uneducated and ignorant and once I became aware of the history and the weight and the true meaning behind this horrible and hurtful language, I was deeply embarrassed I ever used it.’
In a January 2021 social media post she continued to encourage her 51.7M followers to join her in making positive change, as she shared the courses have helped her to ‘learn and unpack the ways [she] has contributed to systems & beliefs that actively oppress others.’
Fifth Harmony: The now disbanded girl group had a plethora of loyal fans, but a relatively harmless comment made by Normani in an interview about Camila caused social media trolls to inflict dangerous cruelty which she Cabello did not stop ; pictured 2015
Healing: The Havana singer spoke about the Healing Justice Project telling People, ‘As I learned more about other people’s experiences in the world, I was like, “How do I help the people who are on the frontlines of dismantling systems that create oppression?’ ; pictured March 3
She vowed to use her platform to speak out against ‘injustice and inequality’ which she has continued to prove this year when she embarked on a new endeavor called the Healing Justice Project.
Both launched and funded in part by Camila and the Movement Voter Fund, the organization aims to elevate marginalized groups through resources, currently boasting 10 organizations under their umbrella.
Sharing a bit about the endeavor she said: ‘As I learned more about other people’s experiences in the world, I was like, “How do I help the people who are on the frontlines of dismantling systems that create oppression? And how do I bridge that with my own personal journey with mental health and healing?”‘
Striving to help others by way of financial and mental health resources, she acknowledged, ‘I know not everybody has the resources that I have access to because of where I am right now. So I want to help,’ while adding that above all she is actively learning to become ‘a true ally.’
Support: Her organization in part with the Movement Voter Fund provides resources to elevate marginalized groups by way of mental health and financial assistance; pictured with boyfriend Shawn Mendes