Kim K Brings Eyes To The Armenian Genocide

Friday, April 24 marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, a travesty that has much been forgotten and overshadowed by World War I. A few weeks ago, Kim and Khloe Kardashian along with Kanye and North West made a pilgrimage to the sisters' homeland of Armenia (it was their first visit) to connect with their roots. On Friday, Kim Kardashian posted on social media about the Armenian Genocide in honor of the 100th anniversary.

Kardashian posted an Instagram and a series of tweets to remind her fans about the horrors of the Turkish systematic killings of the Armenian people and how they should never be forgotten. "I have seen the memorials and the people who survived and I am so proud of how strong the Armenian people are," she tweeted. Kim K is ever surprising. You wouldn't expect the reality star to be such a positive symbol of remembrance, but she's does a lot that we wouldn't expect.

The photo Kardashian posted on her Instagram is from the visit she and family took to the Armenian Genocide Memorial at Tsitsernakaberd in Yerevan while in Armenia. Kardashian visited with sister Khloe, her two cousins Kara and Kourtney, and her husband.

Yes, it's always soothing to see what kind of perfect outfits Kardashian will wear overseas or if any Kanye antics will ensue (and they did). But more importantly, following the most watched woman in the world on a trip to her homeland, which has such a fraught, painful, and still-healing history, means a new kind of awareness and visibility for the Armenian Genocide itself.

Kardashian alsotweeted a link to a Katie Couric piece about the history of the genocide. That one tweet alone was retweeted almost 800 times, and that kind of conversation is necessary. Journalist Dawn MacKeen praised the new spotlight Kardashian has brought to Armenia, saying,

After a century of trying to raise awareness, what we needed all along was a television and Internet persona to join us — especially one who shares everything on every platform — to shed light on a crime that occurred back when telegrams were the speedy form of communication, and photographic plates of the killings had to be smuggled out in a belt, rather than blasted instantaneously with a tweet.

And this is not the first time that Kardashian has passionately advocated for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Last May, she attended a gala "marking the 20th anniversary of the video testimonials project established by Steven Spielberg," which interviewed survivors of the Armenian Genocide. At the event, Kardashian said she was proud to represent Armenians at the gala and spread their amazing stories and testimonials.

For a cause that needs all the visibility it can get, Kim Kardashian is the perfect advocate. She uses her brand of uber-visibility to help a history from being forgotten.