Kerry Washington is the cover star of Town & Country’s September 2020 Issue (on newsstands August 12).
Washington comes to T&C to discuss her latest film, The Fight, a documentary she produced which provides rare access to the work and lives of a group of lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The film traces four of the main legal battles surrounding recent administration policies—immigration and border control, transgender military policies, census cases, and reproductive rights—led by five ACLU lawyers: Brigitte Amiri, Joshua Block, Lee Gelernt, Dale Ho, and Chase Strangio.
In her cover story, Kerry opens up about what The Fight means to her, why she considers the ACLU lawyers to be superheroes, and how we can all get involved for the fight for social justice. The Fight is available now on all streaming platforms.
QUOTES
Kerry Washington on what The Fight means to her: “I have such deep reverence for what this country can be. I love that this film invites us all into the ‘we’ and to know that we belong here. We have to fight to belong here, but we belong here.”
Kerry Washington on why she considers the ACLU lawyers in The Fight to be superheroes: “At [my production company] Simpson Street, we really believe that heroes look like all of us. These lawyers are real life superheroes. What I think they each do so beautifully in the film is show us that while they are taking on the greatest challenges to our civil rights in our lives, they are also just people.”
Kerry Washington on how we each get involved in the fight for social justice: “This is such a great moment, because we are in an unprecedented time when people of extraordinary privilege, for lots of reasons, are asking themselves how they can be part of the solution. Whether it is to give your time, give your money, give your heart, speak up in the conversation when somebody says they don’t believe something.”