Celebrities all across the country have been using their platforms and power to react to the recent protests in response to the murder of George Floyd. This weekend, Lizzo took to Instagram to share a powerful video message speaking out against police brutality and civilian complacency.
In the video, Lizzo first addresses the Black community, whom she reminds to not carry the weight of educating ignorant people. "It is exhausting and if they don’t see it or believe it by now, they don’t want to. There are Googles and there are books, they can do that for themselves," she said. She also addressed and identified white people who have chosen neutrality as part of the process, adding “I know you’re not racist, but you have to be more than that. You have to be anti-racist. Speak up.” She then praised influential figures who have spoken out and assisted in organization efforts for protests. She concluded the video by adding, “Now’s the time. The world is standing still and waiting for action. Let’s make progress.”
Lizzo wrote in the caption of the short video, “Protest is not the end of progress, it is the beginning. I wonder what would happen if all the big companies and celebrities who have showed support on social media came out and used their platform to let activists and protesters speak and be seen?”
In addition to the video, the “Truth Hurts” singer also shared this tweet to her Instagram page, acknowledging the different ways to show resistance.