Nick Cannon is getting candid about his children in the wake of George Floyd‘s murder and global protests against police brutality and systemic racism.
The 39-year-old Masked Singer host spoke out in an interview with Access.
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“My children fear police. I try to teach fearlessness. I try to teach, ‘You have a power within you that you need to fear nothing.’ But when they see the energy of law enforcement [it's like], ‘Uh oh, here comes the police,’” he revealed.
“So that mindset of, ‘Sit up straight and don’t talk, keep your hands where they can see them’ — these are things that I’m talking to a 3-year-old about [and] 9-year-olds about; they bring those questions to me,” he went on to say.
Nick is the father to 3-year-old son Golden with ex Brittany Bell and 9-year-old twins with ex Mariah Carey, Moroccan Scott and Monroe.
“It’s something that’s hurtful to have those conversations with your children, but you want to protect them at the end of the day,” he went on to say.
He also reflected on his own thoughts about police growing up.
“It wasn’t about safety, it was like, ‘Somebody’s in trouble.’ It’s never been a good experience,” he recalled.
“And that’s why I say we gotta rethink and restructure what law enforcement is, specifically in our communities. Law enforcement should be from the community. There was a time when we were able to ‘police’ our own, and have sovereignty…and when we have the ability to self-govern and have a strong moral compass that comes from your community, you shouldn’t have to have someone overseeing you,” he continued.
