Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Cardi B, LeBron James, Kim Kardashian West and more were online yesterday expressing shock and dismay at the brutal murder of George Floyd. Notably Taylor Swift was so outraged that she vowed to be a part of a movement to vote Trump out of office.
Derek Chauvin was finally arrested on 3rd-degree murder and manslaughter charges after the widely seen video showing him kneeling on the neck of George Floyd before his death sparked massive protests around the country. Some of the protests turned violent and the precinct where Chauvin had been stationed was set ablaze. The celebrity reaction shows that this is about more than the horrific criminal act that took the life of another innocent “alleged” detainee. The systemic racism in the US and, in particular, the police brutality that goes unchecked have reached a boiling point for the entire country.
Taylor Swift had been criticized in the past for not supporting Hillary Clinton in 2016 – at a time when her massive following could have potentially saved the country form 4 years of Trump’s antics and dangerous policies. This time, however, she vows it will be a completely different story and basically guarantees a loss for the current White House resident on November 3rd. “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.”
“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.”
Tweet by Taylor Swift
Billie Eilish did non mince words in this passionate indictment of a racist culture seemingly unchecked by reason or intelligence:
As follows various quotes from tweets and instagram posts by other famous names:
LeBron James post on Instagram was unequivocal:
“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 {what a} coward YOU ARE! And how America is really not the land of the free!”
Cardi B on Instagram
More protests are scheduled for today across the nation and the reaction is in honor of George Floyd but also addresses many more deep seated issues that have been building for more than 4 years. Trump may feel that he scores a political point every time a store is looted but the vast majority has had enough of gaslighting and mind games, not to mention disgustingly racist rhetoric and “dog whistle” innuendo. The steep climb to a November redemption appears to have started.