Watching George Floyd suffocate till death at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer was one of the most heartbreaking things that happened this week. His last words, “I can’t breathe”, can never be forgotten so easily.
Celebrities from Beyoncé, Cardi B, Lizzo, Jamie Foxx, Justin Bieber and Oprah Winfrey are speaking up, taking action against inequality, police brutality and taking a stand.
The horrifying story of Floyd’s death is sparking protests around America, and other countries around the world. Many stars are using their social media platforms to speak out and share their emotions about the incident.
- Beyoncé urged her fans to sign several petitions to seek justice for Floyd in a rare Instagram statement Friday. She captioned the video:
“We need justice for George Floyd. We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight. We are broken and disgusted. We cannot normalize this pain,” the star said. “No more senseless killing of human beings. No more seeing people of colour less than human. We can no longer look away. George is all of our family in humanity. He’s our family because he’s a fellow American.”
She added that there have been “too many times that we’ve seen these violent killings and no consequences.”
- Justin Bieber posted a video of the death of George Floyd on his Instagram. He wrote:
THIS MUST STOP
this makes me absolutely sick. This makes me angry this man DIED. This makes me sad. Racism is evil We need to use our voice! Please people. I’m sorry GEORGE FLOYD
- Oprah is also speaking up. She wrote on Instagram:
I’ve been trying to process what can be said or heard in this moment. I haven’t been able to get the image of the knee on his neck out of my head. It’s there every morning when I rise and when I go through the ordinary duties of the day. While pouring coffee, lacing my shoes, and taking a breath, I think: He doesn’t get to do this.
And now the video from the other angle of two other officers pinning him down. My heart sinks even deeper.
His family and friends say he was a gentle giant. His death has now shown us he had a giant soul. If the largeness of a soul is determined by its sphere of influence, George Floyd is a Mighty soul.
#GeorgeFloyd: We speak your name. But this time we will not let your name be just a hashtag. Your spirit is lifted by the cries of all of us who call for justice in your name!
- Rihanna shared a photo of George Floyd on Instagram, with the caption:
For the last few days, the magnitude of devastation, anger, sadness I’ve felt has been overwhelming to say the least! Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart! To the point of staying away from socials, just to avoid hearing the blood curdling agony in George Floyd’s voice again, begging over and over for his life!!!
The look of enticement, the pure joy and climax on the face of this bigot, murderer, thug, pig, bum, Derek Chauvin, haunts me!! I can’t shake this! I can’t get over an ambulance pulling up to an arrest, a paramedic checking a pulse without removing the very thing that’s hindering it! Is this that fucking normal??? If intentional MURDER is the fit consequence for “drugs” or “resisting arrest”….then what’s the fit consequence for MURDER???! #GeorgeFloyd #AhmaudArbery #BreonnaTaylor
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAy-IpYnqCu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
- Cardi B took to her various social media accounts to call for a boycott in retaliation to police brutality against George Floyd. She wrote:
Enough is enough! What will it take ? A civil war ? A new president? Violent riots ? It’s tired ! I’m tired ! The country is tired !You don’t put fear in people when you do this you just show how coward YOU ARE ! And how America is really not the land of the free !
- Madonna posted a video of the horrifying moment Floyd was suffocated.
Watching this Cop suffocate George Floyd
with his knee on his neck, handcuffed and helpless, crying for his life with his face in the street is the most sickening, heartbreaking thing ive seen in a long time. This Officer knew he was being filmed and murdered him with arrogance and Pride.
This has to stop!! Until we can over come Racism in America— no one should be allowed to carry a gun. Most of all cops.
God Bless you George Floyd Im so sorry for you and your family. And all the senseless killings that have gone before you. Will it ever end?I pray to GOD it does one day.
Until then—Fuck The Police!
Yea I said it. Im not interested in being PC. Im interested in Justice.
@shaunking #georgefloyd #justice #guncontrol
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Jamie Foxx joined community leaders and social justice activists in Minneapolis.
“We’re not afraid to stand. We’re not afraid of the moment,” Foxx said during a press conference at Minneapolis’ City Hall Friday. “To watch this man plead for his life as I sit with my two daughters, my nephews who had just come from the grocery store.”
He continued: “I’m not a celebrity, I’m from Terrell, Texas. These are my brothers. This means everything because at the end of the day when we see you guys out here on the front lines, we want to let you know you’ve got support.”
@ABC Jamie Foxx joins social justice advocates in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in solidarity over the death of George Floyd: “All I wanted to do is let you know that we’re not afraid to stand…we’re not afraid of the moment.” https://abcn.ws/2TQY1kx
- Nick Cannon was also protesting the death of Floyd in Minneapolis.He posted two photos of himself on Instagram in a hoodie reading “Please I can’t breathe,” in all caps. “Stop Killing Us! #Frontline,” he captioned the first photo, which shows a mask-wearing Cannon leaning against a stop sign in front armed police officers and military.
The second shows Cannon holding an image of Floyd. He accompanied the photo with the hashtag “#JusticeForFloyd.”
- Mariah Carey
- Reese Witherspoon
- Kylie Jenner
- Naomi Campbell
- Lady Gaga
@ladygaga My heart breaks for George Floyd, his family and for the people in Minneapolis. Murder is murder. Cops are also citizens, the same rules should apply to them. This is absolutely horrific and if the mayor and DA do not step up it sets a poor example for this entire country.
