Artists have shared their concerns and outrage about the recent death of George Floyd on social media and are demanding justice, that a few of them are taking physical action during this pandemic.
On Monday, May 25, Floyd was murdered in the custody of Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin while being detained. Numerous protests have spread across the country from Los Angeles to Seattle to Minneapolis to New York to Atlanta to call for an end to systemic racism and police brutality.
Rappers such as YBN Cordae, Lil Yachty, Bun B, and others have traveled to Midwestern cities to join protesters who are fighting for change. Rapper and actor Nick Cannon was in ground zero supporting the people wearing a black hoodie with Floyd’s final words, “Please I Can’t Breathe,” written across the front as he marched with Minneapolis protesters on May 29.
Lil Yachty shared some words with protestors on how he felt: “I feel like we gotta stand for something or we’ll fall for anything, you know what I’m saying?”
J.Cole joined his fellow citizens to protest in Fayetteville, NC. Although the rapper has not posted to social media he was spotted by attendees and locals. This has not been Coles first time protesting back in 2014 he protested for Michael Brown and Eric Garner the same year.
In Los Angeles, Kehlani, Machine Gun Kelly, Sway Lee, and Halsey joined protestors as they shared their experiences on social media.
Although not everyone experience has gone smoothly, artist have taken to social media to share what they’ve witnessed while protesting.
I dont know how to articulate the horrors of today. NG + officers firing rounds into kneeling crowds. We dont have enough medics on the ground on our side. I was treating injuries I am not qualified to. So much blood spilled. If you have med training pls go + standby outskirts.
— h (@halsey) June 1, 2020
According to The New York Times, four days after video footage surfaced on the internet of George Floyd being pinned to the ground with Chauvin’s knee on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced that the former officer, who was fired after the killing went viral, was arrested on Friday, May 29, and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. It’s unclear if the other three officers who were on the scene when the incident took place will be charged as well.
