NEWS

Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Ariana Grande & More Speak Out After George Floyd Death

6/2/2020 by Rania Aniftos

National outrage is growing after a video of a Minnesota officer suffocating a Black man by kneeling on his neck surfaced on the Internet Monday night (May 25).

The unarmed man, named George Floyd, told officers repeatedly that he could not breathe, and was ignored. Floyd went to Hennepin County Medical Center after falling unconscious. He died shortly after.

On Tuesday, the four officers involved in the incident were fired. "This is the right call," tweeted Mayor Jacob Frey in response to the action taken. On Friday (May 29), Derek Chauvin, the officer most clearly seen in witness videos pinning Floyd to the ground, was taken into custody and charged with murder and manslaughter.

A number of celebrities have joined the cry for justice on social media, condemning the Minnesota police for firing the officers only after national outrage, and asking for the ceaseless racism in the United States to stop.

This post has been updated.

See their posts below.

View this post on Instagram

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

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on

View this post on Instagram

As the father of a black daughter and also two white daughters- I have struggled with what to say today. We have navigated forms of racism directly and while there is mostly overwhelming support and love for our family, sometimes there is just the opposite. Because of that fear, it can be a lot easier to choose silence, but today I’m choosing to speak. I have no clue what it feels like to be profiled by authorities, treated negatively or have my life threatened because of the color of my skin. When I witnessed the horrific murder of George and think about the mistreatment of other black men and women in America, I am heartbroken and angry. I get scared when I think about my daughters and what kind of world they will be growing up in and how my JOB as a father is to show them how to lead with love in the face of hate. To know their worth and value as not only women but human beings. I have witnessed my black band and crew members on the road struggle at times with feeling safe because of the color of their skin. This is unacceptable. I don’t believe in hate. I believe in love. What happened to George was pure hate. We are all created by the same God. I pray for a change in heart of those hearts who have been overcome by hatred and hardened. I pray for a deeper understanding for myself and awareness of the experience of mistreatment that those of another skin color go through. I pray for the families of those who have lost their lives to violence or experienced trauma at the hand of racial oppression and injustice. What can we do? I ask myself this question everyday. We each have to be part of the solution and we have to continue to educate ourselves, continue to support both financially and with service those organizations doing good work in our communities to overcome injustice and hatred in our country. And if you’re like me, continue to pray. So if there is any question on where I stand let me be clear- I stand with you, I stand with George and his family and all those who have faced racism. I stand with my wife and my daughters. We will be fighting this fight for the rest of our lives. Rest In Peace, George. We are not letting this go.

A post shared by ThomasRhettAkins (@thomasrhettakins) on

View this post on Instagram

Some thoughts from @mtramsey - Just a few short months ago, I watched as beauty arose from tragedy. The nashville community came together to lift up their neighbors that took a direct hit from a powerful unexpected storm. Where there was pain, kindness bloomed. I’m no meteorologist, but I think a tornado is created by cold, dry air and warm, humid air colliding. We are now in the midst of a much more powerful and destructive storm. As I watch it sweep across America, taking innocent lives and destroying neighborhoods, I am reminded that I am no expert in this type of storm either. The turbulent hand of racism has not touched me. Therefore, like many of the people I talk to, I’m left feeling helpless, scared, guilty and ashamed. There is no basement we can crawl into to protect ourselves from this storm. We can only listen to it and learn from it as it tears a path through our lives. I have faith that kindness can bloom again. I’ve seen it happen. I know we as people can find love and compassion for our neighbors who have been hurt. In these painful times, please focus your hearts on healing, compassion, communication, humanity, humility and love. Hate has had its day. It’s on us to work together now to clean it up.

A post shared by Old Dominion (@olddominionmusic) on

View this post on Instagram

no justice just us

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on

View this post on Instagram

link in bio for ways you can help

A post shared by @ postmalone on

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by flame (@travisscott) on

View this post on Instagram

Rest in power

A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion) on

View this post on Instagram

I’ve been trying to find the right words to say after I saw the  video where George Floyd’s life is being taken from him with impunity... I am so sorry to George Floyd’s family and Ahmaud Arbery’s family, And Breonna Taylor’s family and to the countless other black families that have their children and parents being taken away from them. I stand with you in outrage and I have called Minnesota Governor Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison , and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman, their numbers and what to say is on the ACLU website, and I urge you to please call, please sign the petitions, and let’s stand together for justice. We need a change, we can’t afford to be silent, and we can’t afford a society that’s indifferent to others pain. #BlackLivesMatter #WeCantBreathe

A post shared by camila (@camila_cabello) on

View this post on Instagram

#justiceforgeorgefloyd #blacklivesmatter

A post shared by BILLIE EILISH (@billieeilish) on

https://twitter.com/KelseaBallerini/status/1266850768914612226/photo/1

View this post on Instagram

an update from our hearts...

A post shared by Dan + Shay (@danandshay) on

View this post on Instagram

I never felt like it was my place to comment on the issue of racist police brutality, and that is part of the problem. What is happening in this country right now is horrific. The murder of black people, because they are black, by law enforcement, or anyone else is a tragedy every time. I have never had to fear because of the color or my skin, and I know that’s something I will never understand. That’s white privilege. Racism has never been okay, yet it is part of the history of this country, a sickening part. Racism is very much alive and fueled by a president who calls white supremacists “very fine people” and then threatens protesters with being shot in a time when so many are suffering. It’s embarrassing, nauseating, and infuriating. Being a white person, I know I will never understand how racism feels. I stand for equality and I can’t just be silent while the president encourages violence and does nothing to help heal people’s suffering but rather makes it worse. What is happening right now is bigger than a hashtag. Black lives matter. George Floyd matters. Spread LOVE not hate.

A post shared by Kesha (@iiswhoiis) on

THE BILLBOARD BIZ
SUBSCRIBER EXPERIENCE

The Biz premium subscriber content has moved to Billboard.com/business.


To simplify subscriber access, we have temporarily disabled the password requirement.