Gwyneth Paltrow says White women can learn a lot from Black women about sisterhood. Paltrow opened up about the differences between the races in a chat with Dr. Ella Bell at The Makers Conference in Beverly Hills on Thursday.
The Goop founder/CEO praised Black women for supporting each other more than White women.
“My Black women friends know themselves, love themselves, in a way that I think White women are not taught to,” said Paltrow.
She added that White women are taught to be competitive and jealous.
“I think White women are taught to be competitive with one another — which is something I’ve tried to work so hard to dispel, because I don’t believe in competition between women — but we’re raised to be competitive, to be jealous, to look over each other’s shoulders.”
Paltrow said her Black friends are not competitive with each other.
“And, at least in my circle of Black women, they do not do that. There’s an immediate acceptance and safety and appreciation.”
Paltrow said White women can learn from Black women who provide each other with emotional support and encouragement.
“I’ve learned so much from my Black friends about ruthless self-acceptance and full love of self,” she said. “And I think we as White women in this culture have a lot to learn from our Black sisters and the way in which they respect themselves. And I’m not sure exactly where that comes from.”
Paltrow asked Dr, Bell, who is Black: “I would actually love to know why you think that African American women have that, and it’s like in a collective — it’s like an interwoven beautiful connection — and how you think, as White women, we can start to cultivate that within ourselves and in our own friendships.”
Bell replied: “I can turn to the Black women in this room when I need lifting up. That’s important for us. And I don’t think White women have that.”
Paltrow agreed: “Keeping White women at odds with each other, in competition with one another, keeps the patriarchy strong.”
“So we really have to take it upon ourselves to be conscious of our thinking and our behavior, and to build bridges and to understand that somebody’s not going to get more. You don’t have to get less because somebody is going to get more.”
