Chelsea Handler just made an essential point about white privilege

Chelsea Handler is known for her epic putdowns and super quick wit.

But the comedian is now using her platform to address an important and serious cultural issue: white privilege.

Handler stopped by Ellen to promote a new project with Netflix that explores her privilege as a white woman. She described to host Ellen DeGeneres how, following the 2016 presidential election, she began reading texts by black authors and exploring the benefits that her white skin has given her.

She told DeGeneres how this made her “feel gross”, before discussing her discomfort at the fact that 53 per cent of white women voted for Donald Trump. She implored white women on the left to follow the example of African-American women, who she said “always vote in their interests”.

She concluded by telling DeGeneres that:

White people have a long way to go.

A clip of the exchange has been shared widely on Twitter, with many praising Handler for her approach to being an ally to people of colour.

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