Another celebrity has come out to show support for the protests that follow the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer. This time it’s Canadian singer The Weeknd who’s using his wealth and influence to raise awareness.
Supporting Change
The 30-year-old artist recently took to Instagram to announce that he donated half a million dollars divided among three organizations. As proof, he also posted screenshots of his donations.
The amount is broken down to $100 000 going to the National Bail Out (NBO), $200,000 towards The Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative, and another $200,000 for the Black Lives Matter Global Network.
The Weeknd, born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, accompanied his post with a message of support to his fellow brothers and sisters who are risking a lot to push for real change. The singer then urged other people to donate as well, especially those with ‘big pockets.’
He then posted links where others can give money in his Instagram stories. The Weeknd has a 23.1-million following on the platform.
Celebrities in Action
Other celebrities who have notably made their voices heard in support of Black Lives Matter are couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, who gave $200,000 to benefit the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Meanwhile, other stars focused their donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), which is a group that aids in bailing out protesters arrested during demonstrations. It can be remembered that riots and protests erupted in Minneapolis in late May following the spread of the video showing Floyd’s death.
Some celebrities directly donated to Floyd’s family. One of them is comedian Niecy Nash, who gave $10,000 together with the cast of ‘Reno 911!’.
Successful Fundraisers
Personal fundraisers have also been put up by the families and other concerned individuals in the name of the recent victims of police brutality.
The GoFundMe campaign set up by Floyd’s brother has raised over $14 million. The fund would reportedly cover funeral costs, court proceedings as well as grief counseling for those left behind by Floyd.
A similar fund has also been started for Breonna Taylor, a medical technician fatally shot by police who entered her home with a no-knock warrant. Her GoFundMe page has raised $5.8 million in just the span of a few days.