Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is encouraging her fans to remain “focused” in the fight for justice for George Floyd.
Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in police custody after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes during his arrest. His death has sparked demonstrations in the United States and across the globe.
The Grammy-winning artist shared a poignant message on Instagram Wednesday, which featured an aerial photo of thousands of Black Lives Matter demonstrators filling the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Accompanying the picture were the words: “The world came together for George Floyd. We know there is a long road ahead. Let’s remain aligned and focused in our call for real justice.”
In the wake of Floyd’s death, Beyoncé expressed her hurt and anger on Instagram, calling on her fans to take action and refuse to “normalize the pain.”
“We’re broken and we’re disgusted,” she said in an impassioned video posted to her Instagram page. “We cannot normalize this pain. I’m not only speaking to people of color. If you’re white, black, brown and anything in between, I’m sure you feel hopeless by the racism going on in America right now.”
The “Formation” hitmaker went on to say that there had “been too many times that we’ve seen these violent killings and no consequences.”
“Yes, someone has been charged, but justice is far from being achieved.”
She concluded the message by urging her followers to sign several petitions, adding: “Continue to pray for peace and compassion and healing for our country.”
Beyonce’s latest post on the issue came hours after Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that Chauvin would now face second-degree murder charges and the three other officers involved in the arrest would be charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
