'Hunger Games': Rue (Amandla Stenberg) Responds to Racist Tweets

Leave it to the internet to both launch a racist attack and shame the people who launched the attack, all within a matter of days. That's what happened with some of the more racist Twitter users out there expressed their "disappointment" over a black actress, 13-year-old Amandla Stenberg, being cast as Rue in "The Hunger Games.

The tweets were pretty horrifying, especially considering the insinuation by most of the tweeters that they don't consider what they're saying to be racist. A collection of the tweets was exposed online and went viral, spawning blogs, mock Twitter accounts, and more.

Seeing how big this story got, it was inevitable that Stenberg was going to read about it. Never mind the heartstrings that were yanked over the idea of a 13-year-old girl (and Rue, nonetheless!) having to see all this mindless vitriol in one place... it would be difficult for anyone to deal with.

But Stenberg released the following statement today in response: "As a fan of the books, I feel fortunate to be part of The Hunger Games family. It was an amazing experience; I am proud of the film and my performance. I want to thank all of my fans and the entire Hunger Games community for their support and loyalty."

An extraordinary amount of class and grace for a 13-year-old, wouldn't you say? Bravo to you, Amandla, you'll always be our Rue.