Kelly Rowland is feeling "hurt" and "anger" about racial injustice in the United States.
The singer chatted with ET's Kevin Frazier on Thursday about her uplifting episode of Regular Heroes, but was overcome with emotion while discussing the death of George Floyd -- a Minneapolis man who died after a police officer held him down by the neck with his knee for an extended period -- and the impact it's made around the nation.
"I can't sit still. I'm angry. I'm hurt. At times feeling hopeless," Rowland admitted while in tears. "But then sometimes I look at my son and I'm like, hell no. I gotta keep going and what do I need to do? [I'm] feeling for the families that have to go through all this. Communities, all their emotions, [it] just makes me angry. There's so many things I'm feeling, like everyone else."
Since Floyd's death, people have begun to protest in Minneapolis and across the nation. On Friday, the police officer who held down Floyd by his neck was arrested and charged with murder.
"Yesterday I was just mad, like red mad, and then last night, it was tough to sleep," Rowland expressed. "I'm happy that it's actually bothering us the way it is now, because that's when action happens. But we have to have a way to move together, if that makes any sense. We need a way to move together, because if we move and we're just acting out of all this anger and madness and emotion, [it won't work]. We have to be collected and unified."
"But this is years upon years of oppression and depression. It's so deeply rooted," she continued. "And that's why we're having a tough time with all this. There's so much trauma. Even watching it every day is trauma. What is this going to do to us in 10 years? We're watching it. How can you not be appalled? If you're not black, you should be appalled. If you're not black, you should be moving. You should be saying something, posting something."
Amid the hurt and pain, Rowland is also focusing on the good and those who are giving back to the community during the coronavirus pandemic. She's hosting Friday's episode of the eight-part Amazon Prime docuseries, Regular Heroes. The weekly series highlights the heroic efforts of essential workers across the U.S. From grocery clerks to teachers and medical professionals, their impact proves that there is hope when people come together.
"It just feels good to know that there's good people out there. And you want to celebrate those people," the former Destiny's Child singer shared. "That's what I love about Regular Heroes, that we are actually really thanking people and giving back. This is another form of giving back. And you just want to celebrate those who are putting their lives, their families' lives on the line, and it's beautiful."
As for the memorable everyday hero in her life that is helping her during this time? "My husband [Tim Weatherspoon]," Rowland said with a smile. "He still motivates me to get up and work out and says the sweetest things and wants to be supportive and wants us to be great together… I love him."
Rowland's episode of Regular Heroes is now streaming on Amazon Prime. See more in the video below.
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