In the course of healing from the latest police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, many people have spoken up about the double-standards and atrocities facing Black and Brown people in this country. Your favorite celebrities have also chimed in to use their voices to speak out and raise awareness, not only in the states, but abroad as well.
On Monday, Alicia Keys organized dozens of America’s highest profile black celebrities to make a powerful statement about black lives and to speak out against the unacceptable normalcy of police brutality. In an original video for news website, Mic.com based on the piece, “23 Everyday Actions Punishable by Death if You’re Black in America,” Keys, along with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Common, Chris Rock, Taraji P. Henson and so many more each describe just how mundane, trivial and everyday action can get you killed if you happen to wake up Black in America.
One by one, celebrities share the reasons why some of the names we now use as hashtags lost their life.
From Laquan McDonald to Oscar Grant, the list seems endless as both black and white give the “reason” why someone had to lose their life. One of the reasons being “sitting outside of your bachelor party” recognizing Sean Bell who was gunned down for just doing that.
Our hearts hurt. Our minds hurt. And our frustration is at all time high. You can see it in the eyes of every person in this video and even hear it in their voices.
We must tell the world that our lives matter until they actually do and we must also believe it ourselves. We thank Alicia Keys and others for speaking up and speaking out.
One voice. One heart. One love.
For more on your favorite celebrity, click here.
POWERFUL! 23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You’re Black In America (VIDEO) was originally published on blackdoctor.org
