As convicted felon Donald Trump campaigns for president, Kerry Washington has some very serious questions about why he doesn’t have to jump through the same bureaucratic hoops as other felons?
Whether it’s a personal story, or comes from a friend or family member, we all know how hard it is for Black convicted felons to be treated with a modicum of respect as they work to find jobs and regain certain rights.
While promoting the July 17 premiere of “UnPrisoned” Season 2, the actress explained her evolving opinions on the criminal justice system, including why convicted felons are treated with such disdain, even while one is the presumptive Republican nominee for president.
The “Scandal” star shared how she’s excited to see people on social media asking questions about why convicted felons are treated with such disrespect and can’t work toward having certain rights returned to them. She’s also definitely interested in the discussion around why Trump isn’t being judged by the same standards as other convicted felons?
“Everything has changed in terms of how I feel about the so-called justice system,” Washington told Bustle. “We’re in such an interesting moment when it comes to [the question of], ‘What is a felon?’ I love what people have been sharing on social media, [saying that] if a person who is a convicted felon can still run for president, then we should be removing that box from job applications.”
A particular sticking point for the actress/producer is felons having their voting rights revoked, then being forced to jump through an endless, unreasonable amount of hoops to get them back.
“The irony is that [Gov.] Ron DeSantis has been trying to make it impossible in Trump’s home state,” she said. “A bill was passed in Florida to allow formerly incarcerated folks to vote, and DeSantis has been trying to do everything he can to [undercut] that. Donald Trump may not be able to vote in his home state.”
The movement to remove questions about felony records from job applications and other forms is called “Ban the Box.” For the “Little Fires Everywhere” star, the practice is an out of date, old-school thought process used to keep certain people in their place.
“Being a felon has become just another box that we put people in, to assume who they are and what they’re capable of, in the same way we do with gender or race,” she said.
It seems the internet agrees with her, as X was flooded with posts from users supporting Washngton and her famous “Scandal” character.
True to his “the rules only apply to certain people” persona, DeSantis has already made it clear that he’ll ensure the former president is able to vote in November.
We know that not all felons are the same and we’re obviously not talking about irredeemable, violent, hateful criminals here. But we also can’t ignore that dehumanizing and disenfranchising convicted felons is another way the system tries to keep Black people powerless.
“UnPrisoned” Season 2 premieres July 12 on Hulu.