January Jones' 8-Year-Old Son Takes to the Streets for a #BlackLivesMatter Protest

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As anti-racist protests continue, parents and kids alike are taking to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd and so many more people of color who have been murdered by white police officers. But it’s clear that these protests are becoming more and more of a dangerous place, largely due to ongoing police violence against protesters — including awful police attacks on young children. And while we’ve seen famous white foks from Reese Witherspoon to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds announce their commitment to educating their kids to be actively anti-racist, Mad Men star January Jones is the first white mother in Hollywood whom we’ve seen hit the streets with her child for a #BlackLivesMatter demonstration.

Jones shared a photo of 8-year-old son Xander, at what she says was “a small neighborhood protest.” But before you jump to saying he’s too young to be protesting, remember that parents know their own kids best — and it’s never too early to educate children about racism.

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“I wanted to give him an opportunity today to do a small neighborhood protest to support his friends and feel like he’s part of the progress that will hopefully happen,” the actor captioned a photo of her son holding a sign that reads “I can’t breathe” and wearing a mask with the words “Black Lives Matter.”

The mom of one’s powerful words also shed light on how other people can educate their children by having necessary and difficult conversations.

“I promise that I will always continue to talk to my child about inequality. And I promise to do all I can to learn more,” she wrote. Still, the Emmy Award winner knows talking isn’t enough — action is where real change will come to fruition.

So, Jones did what any passionate mother would do: She took her son to a protest to show him “why people are so angry and sad,” as she put it. “For a child who didn’t used to see color amongst his friends it’s hard for him to understand, to understand why the past he learns about in school is still very present in our world today,” she wrote.

And, wisely, she ended with a callout to her followers to vote for change, and for equality: “If you don’t vote for who is governing your city, state and country nothing will change.”

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