Alicia Keys: My goal is to empower black America

Alicia Keys for Glamour UK
THOMAS WHITESIDE
Lizzie Edmonds @lizzieedmo10 November 2020

Alicia Keys has spoken out about systemic racism and using her platform to help “empower black America".

The US singer, 39, from Hell’s Kitchen, New York,  said there was “years” of systemic racism “to unravel”, adding inequality was “so deeply woven into the fabric.”

Multi Grammy-winner Keys has recently launched a one billion US dollar fund to support black American businesses and communities in association with the US National Football League (NFL).

About it, she told Glamour UK: “As an artist, I’m always thinking about how I can use my platform to further racial equality.

Alicia Keys at the 2020 Grammys
Getty Images

“Our goal is to empower black America. I can’t believe how many years of systemic racism we have to unravel, and come to terms with, and fight against, and redesign, and recreate.

“I feel like we have to literally force people to understand and to rethink how things are happening, how they’re running, who’s in charge, who we’re creating opportunities for.

“And at this point, I just think that it’s so deeply woven into the fabric. It’s not OK.”

Keys also spoke about of her years-long struggle with acne, saying she felt she had to hide her “bumps and scars” in public.

She largely gave up wearing make-up around 2016 in an attempt to beat the skin condition.

She told Glamour UK she had ended up in a “crazy cycle” of using make-up to cover her acne which only made it worse.

Alicia Keys for Glamour UK
Alicia Keys for Glamour UK
THOMAS WHITESIDE

However, she is now launching a range of skincare with E.l.f. Beauty, called Keys Soulcare, to help others who have suffered with acne and skin conditions.

She said: “I’ve always had a challenging time with my skin and having to figure out how to manage it and be in the spotlight.

“Having to constantly be in this crazy cycle of putting on make-up to cover the bumps and scars, and then because I had make-up on under the hot lights, there were more bumps and scars.

“I felt like I had to hide everything and I felt really self-conscious.

“I struggled so much in my skin and really even being clear about my self-confidence and self-worth.”

Read the full interview in the Glamour UK autumn/winter 20/21 print issue available now.

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