Celebrities are using their platforms to share powerful messages about systemic racism and speak out against police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
Over the weekend, Billie Eilish called out the All Lives Matter movement in a passionate message posted on Instagram.
“I’ve been trying to take this week to figure out a way to address this delicately,” she began. “I have an enormous platform and I try really hard to be respectful and take time to think through what I say and how I say it. But holy f–king sh-t, I’m just gonna start talking.”
“If I hear one more white person say ‘aLL liVeS maTtEr’ one more f–king time, I’m gonna lose my f–king mind,” Billie continued. “Will you shut the f–k up? No one is saying your life is not hard. No one is saying literally anything at all about you. All you mfs do is find a way to make everything about yourself. This is not about you. Stop making everything about you. You are not in need. You are not in danger.”
She also explained white privilege to her followers and spoke out against police brutality.
“Society gives you privilege just for being white,” she wrote. “You can be poor, you can be struggling. And still your skin color is giving you more privilege than you even realize and nobody is saying that makes you better than anyone. It just lets you live your life without having to worry about surviving simply because of your skin color!!! You are privileged!! If all lives matter why are black people killed for just being black?”
“Does white privilege affect Hispanic people? Native Americans? Asian people? Yes for f–king sure it does,” Billie continued. “But right now right in this moment… we have to address hundreds of years of oppression of black people. The slogan of #BlackLivesMatter does not mean other lives don’t. It’s calling attention to the fact that society clearly thinks black lives don’t f–king matter!!!!!! And they f–king do!!!!!!”
“It means black. lives. F–king. matter,” Billie expressed, adding “#justiceforgeorgefloyd.”
Jay-Z has also issued a statement following his conversation with Minnesota Governor Tim Walsh.
“After our very earnest conversation, thank you to Governor Walz for doing what’s right and calling in Attorney General Keith Ellison to take over the George Floyd case,” Jay-Z wrote in his statement. “Earlier today, Governor Walz mentioned having a human conversation with me—a dad and a black man in pain. Yes, I am a human, a father and a black man in pain, and I am not the only one,” he wrote in a post on Instagram Sunday (May 31).
He also called on the Attorney General “to do the right thing” and to prosecute those culpable “to the fullest extent of the law.”
He went on to convey that this is “just a first step.” “I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have,” he continued, calling on politicians, prosecutors, and officers to “Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain. And look at yourselves.”
George Floyd, a 46-year-old man residing in Minneapolis, died on Monday (May 25) after a police officer kept him restrained on the ground with a knee on his neck for seven minutes. According to CBS News, four officers have since been fired and the police officer who was videotaped holding him down by the neck was taken into custody and has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
George’s death sparked calls for justice and many have taken to the streets to protest against police brutality. Some celebs have also taken part in the protests happening across the country.
Ariana Grande joined a protest on Saturday (May 30) and took to Twitter to share photos and shine the light on the peaceful protest that was held.
“Hours and miles of peaceful protesting yesterday that got little to no coverage. all throughout beverly hills and west hollywood we chanted, people beeped and cheered along. we were passionate, we were loud, we were loving. cover this too please. #BLACKLIVESMATTER,” she wrote.
She also urged her followers to stay safe and help out, writing, “Stay active, stay energized, keep sharing, keep learning. sending strength and if you are protesting today please be safe. @blklivesmatter @blmla and @wp4bl have shared more ways to help,” along with a link for ways to help.
Machine Gun Kelly also shared a photo of him and his friends holding up signs as they joined a rally over the weekend.
Emily Ratajkowski shared a slideshow of photos documenting the protest demonstration in Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles, California.
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes were also spotted at a protest in Miami dressed in black holding up signs of their own as they marched with other protesters.
Madison Beer says she was tear-gassed at a protest in Santa Monica, California on Sunday (May 31) afternoon. “LEAVE SANTA MONICA NOW IF YOU CAN I WAS JUST TEAR GASSED THEY ARE ARRESTING EVERYONE AND TEAR GASSING ALL CROWDS,” Madison tweeted.
Paris Jackson and Nick Canon also called for justice, holding up signs at a rally, which they shared photos of on Instagram. Tessa Thompson, meanwhile, shared a video of her chanting with other protesters on Twitter.
In some demonstrations, protesters were arrested and several celebrities are donating money to help bail out the jailed protesters.
Chrissy Teigen initially took to Twitter to offer $100,000 to help pay for the protester’s bailouts.
“In celebration of whatever the f–k maga night is, I am committed to donating $100,000 to the bail outs of protestors across the country,” she tweeted.
But when a someone replied that the people were “rioters and criminals,” she decided to double the amount, responding,“Ooo they might need more money then. Make it $200,000.”
Blake Live and Ryan Reynolds announced that they have donated $200,000 to the NAACP and pledged to raise their daughters differently.
“We are committed to raising our kids so they never grow up feeding this insane pattern and so they’ll do their best to never inflict pain on another being consciously or unconsciously,” she continued. “It’s the least we can do to honor not just George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Eric Garner, but all the black men and women who have been killed when a camera wasn’t rolling,” they said in a lengthy statement posted on both their Instagram accounts.
Several celebs have also donated the Minnesota Freeedom Fund, a non-profit helping people pay bail if they can’t afford to do so, including Steve Carell, Don Cheadle, Seth Rogen, Janelle Monae, Kehlani and Jameela Jamil.
Colin Kaepernick also partnered with Know Your Rights Campaign to establish a fund to pay the legal fees for protesters in Minneapolis.
“In fighting for liberation there‘s always retaliation. We must protect our Freedom Fighters. We started a legal defense initiative to give legal representation to Freedom Fighters in Minneapolis paid for by @yourrightscamp,” Colin shared on Twitter.
