Gwyneth Paltrow's African Moment | Keep A Child Alive

White Celebs Announce, ‘I am African’ The Root

The angle that the organization (Keep a Child Alive) has chosen to bring attention to this important issue is nothing short of bizarre. The strongest critics will likely call it disrespectful of African culture. But our only issue is that it seems to require a lot of unnecessary mental gymnastics to connect “We all have African DNA. Even white people. Check out my facepaint!” to “So we have a good reason to care about AIDS in Africa” to “So, let’s help people there get the medication they need.”

How about skipping all that and giving people credit for caring about other human beings — no other genetic link required? “I am human” would have worked just fine.

But guess what? The campaign is getting attention (here at The Root and elsewhere). And if it takes blond Gwyneth Paltrow with a blue stripe down her cheek and a giant necklace to make us do a double take, pay attention and hopefully take action, then so be it.