R&B Queens Beyoncé, Rihanna and Alicia Keys have teamed up with other stars to contribute to a video that lists the reasons why black Americans have been killed in recent years.
In Mic’s video listing ’23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Are Black In America’, influential black stars including Chris Rock, Taraji P. Henson and Common explain some of the innocent actions black Americans have made that lead to their murder.
The video supports the We Are Here Movement and follows the tragic killing of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile by white police officers.
During the two minute long video each performer states the trivial reasons why black Americans have been killed; accompanied by the names and pictures of those that have fallen victim to such reasoning.
Keys begins the clip by referring to Sandra Bland with “failing to signal a lane change,” while Beyonce cites Castile’s tragic murder while saying “riding in your girlfriend’s car with a child in the back.”
Oueen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Bono, Pink, Lenny Kravitz and more list the ‘crimes’ of those murdered, particularly since the launch of the Black Lives Matter movement.
At the end of the clip Maxwell and Rihanna jointly say: “In other words, just for being black in America and doing absolutely nothing, these everyday actions can be seen as not servile enough.”
As growing numbers of black americans have been killed by law enforcement many celebrities have been criticised for not using their voice, or their platform to demand change, but 2016 seems to be the year when even they are saying enough. The video is devastating but powerful.
By Shanique Joseph
