In the midst of a global pandemic, another virus that has been around a lot longer than the Coronavirus has shown its ugly head. Police violence, abuse and brutality against Black people. On May 25th the world watched in horror as 4 Minneapolis police officers murdered George Floyd on the street as he was held down, handcuffed and with a knee of white officer Derek Chauvin, choking the life out of him for 8-minutes and 46-seconds. Floyd, a father of two, who allegedly passed a counterfeit bill in a nearby shop, could be heard begging and pleading to be allowed to breathe, “I can’t breathe,” and bystanders, who were thankfully filming the heinous act with their smartphones, joined in pleading that the officers not kill him. The officers carried on committing this heinous murder as if consequences were non existent.
The gut wrenching incident went viral on social media and caused an overwhelming public reaction, not only in America but globally. As a stark reminder of police violence and lack of accountability for that violence, as the officers were fired but not charged for Floyd’s murder. The outrage grew and communities across America and beyond took to the streets and social media to protest this injustice, which has now resulted in the arrest and charging of all four police officers.
The uproar and outcry was supported by many, including several celebrities (both of color and white allies) that used their Twitter and Instagram channels to speak out. Some in anger, some in grief and some in just pure solidarity against a systemic problem of injustice and the refusal to recognize that Black Lives Matter–and that justice should be equal for ALL.
On Twitter:
Fuck white supremacy. Fuck white supremacists.
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) May 29, 2020
Excellent question. Perhaps you should ask the police because THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME. Ask any activist advocating for marginalized groups. That’s why these legal aid and bailout funds are prepared to deal with this. They’re used to it.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) May 31, 2020
In celebration of whatever the fuck maga night is, I am committed to donating $100,000 to the bail outs of protestors across the country.
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 30, 2020
I’ll just say it: a lot of politicians are scared of the political power of the police,and that’s why changes to hold them accountable for flagrant killings don’t happen. That in itself is a scary problem.
We shouldn’t be intimidated out of holding people accountable for murder.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 27, 2020
Centuries of chattel slavery, oppression, lynchings, exploitation, Jim Crow, redlining, systematic racism & the destruction of generations of black lives & families is the cause of the uprisings. The murder of #GeorgeFloyd was just the tip of the iceberg. https://t.co/mj3aRsklPg pic.twitter.com/oldJhZd6FG
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) June 2, 2020
Thought this editorial we did in 2018 was apropos right now. Heartbreaking that still so little has changed. #GeorgeFloyd https://t.co/bDeFsXxbk6
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) May 30, 2020
I spent the past few days with an extremely heavy heart, having very high level conversations with people who don’t look like me, people who may not believe what I believe, people who don’t know what it’s like to be black in America… continued:https://t.co/Y79NxYU0P7
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) June 1, 2020
My statement on the death of George Floyd: pic.twitter.com/Hg1k9JHT6R
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 29, 2020
After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 29, 2020
On Instagram:
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Resulting in over 1,808,593 posts on Instagram using the #GeorgeFloyd hashtag to date, over 18,473,257 posts using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag to date, and over 28,791,671 using #BlackoutTuesday.
Some even took to TV shows to open up, express their pain, frustrations and more, like well known Canadian personality… Toronto’s very own, Tyrone Edwards (@mr1loveto), who took to Canada’s “the social,” and here’s what he had to say:
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Grateful that @thesocialctv allowed this segment to have the time it needed.
And on CTV:
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Look within, challenge old ways of thinking: in your social circles & in your homes.
And a follow-up segment with ‘the social’:
Thousands have also turned to social media to share tips for protesters, ways to support black owned businesses, restaurants, and more. But also how you can donate and support without the need of funds too.
