The past week has been tense for Americans. The recent shootings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the five police officers in Dallas has left the country in a state of anger, confusion, and grief. Celebrities like Mischa Barton, Wendy Williams, and Justin Timberlake recently caught flack for using their platforms poorly in trying to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Despite their best efforts to retract a momentary slip of the tongue (or bad case of Twitter fingers, in Timberlake's case), it became crystal clear just how out of touch they are with the climate of this country.
Thankfully, there were a few stars who get it. Macklemore, Olivia Wilde, Beyoncé, and a few others boldly used their voices to stand up for injustice — creating a prototype for how celebrities can use their voices to make a difference.
Macklemore
Macklemore has long been using his platform to stand up for marginalized groups. Though some critics have labeled his form of activism “gimmicky,” his response to the Alton Sterling shooting posed an important question. “What do we do in times like these? It's a question for everyone, but specifically white people,” he captions under an Instagram photo Sterling. “The systematic oppression that enables a murder like this, will be corrected once white people care enough to change it.”
By putting the onus on other white people to become allies with the Black Lives Matter movement, he not only acknowledges his inherent privilege as a white male but encourages others in his position to do the same. Macklemore also proposed a three-step plan to unite on these issues: “1: Financially support Black-led organizations. 2: Do a People's Institute 'Undoing racism' training. 3: Have conversations about race. In real life,” he urges.
Photo: Erik Pendzich/REX.
Drake
It can be uncomfortable to approach the topic of race relations in America if you weren’t born here, but Drake tackled the issue like a true pro. In a well-crafted response, the Canadian-born rapper acknowledged his foreign roots while also praying for peace in the U.S. “I am grateful to call America my second home,” Drake proclaimed in a statement. “It’s impossible to ignore that the relationship between Black and brown communities and law enforcement remains as strained as it was decades ago. No one begins their life as a hashtag. Yet the trend of being reduced to one continues.”
“This is real and I’m concerned,” he concludes. “Concerned for the safety of my family, my friends, and any human being that could fall victim to this pattern. I do not know the answer. But I believe things can change for the better. Open and honest dialogue is the first step.”
Photo: Madison McGaw/BFA.
Olivia Wilde
Though Wilde has never been a target of racial discrimination, she still used her platform to expel the #AllLivesMatter rhetoric and prove that (wait for it) just because you’re not Black doesn’t mean you should remain silent on issues affecting Black people (gasp!). For the cherry on top, she happily said “bye bye” to anyone threatening to unfollow her because she tweeted in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Photo: Gregory Pace/REX.
Beyoncé
When an artist as big as Beyoncé issues a call to action to her massive fan base, you can rest assured it will make huge waves. In an impassioned letter on her website, Beyoncé spoke out against the killings of Sterling and Castile, urging fans to “turn anger into action” and contact their congressional representatives. Shortly after her post went live, the congressional website crashed due to the flood of traffic. Talk about breaking the internet! On top of that, Beyoncé also performed tributes to the scroll of police brutality victims we’ve lost thus far, as well as the officers tragically murdered in Dallas.
Photo: Michael Buckner/WWD.
Solange
Like her big sis, Solange is absolutely furious about the continued violence at the hands of law enforcement officials. An avid champion for the Black Lives Matter movement, Solange not only tweeted about the week’s tragic shooting, but from this day forth is putting her money where her mouth is…literally. The singer and tastemaker shared a list of Black-owned banks for her followers to consider switching over to, confirming that she is a customer of one, too.
Photo: Leandro Justen/BFA.
Issa Rae
As the horrific shooting of Alton Sterling rapidly made its rounds online, actress and web producer Issa Rae, whose YouTube videos have garnered over 20 million views, took swift action. She immediately created a GoFundMe campaign to raise college funds for Alton Sterling's children.
"Some of us feel helpless when these things happen, but that's a small step," she tweeted about the fundraiser. As it turns out, there is nothing small about Issa’s efforts. To date, the campaign has collected over $700,000 for Sterling’s family, with contributions from over 23,000 people.
Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Variety.
NY DJ Peter Rosenberg
In a radio interview that has since gone viral, New York’s Hot 97 disc jockey Peter Rosenberg went off on a police officer for dancing around the issue of Alton Sterling’s arresting officers and their negligence.
“Police officers never wanna say when y’all do a bad job,” he continues. “So, that’s the reason the public thinks all of you are bad. Because you won’t ever call someone out and say, ‘They murdered someone in cold blood. It happened again.’ And until you guys start taking responsibility for your own, people in the street are going to be upset, instead.”
Photo: Amanda Schwab/StarPix.
John Legend
The murder of Philando Castile was not only disturbing to watch, but revealed a larger problem with the National Rifle Association and its selective support of the Second Amendment. Legend found it rather ironic that after police shot and killed a Black man who was licensed to carry the gun in his possession, the NRA dragged its feet to speak on the issue.
“Let’s go, NRA. I know ya’ll are for the 2nd amendment. Are you also for equal protection?” he questioned in a highly circulated tweet.
Photo: Rob Latour/Variety.
The Game & Snoop Dogg
The Game and Snoop Dogg have both experienced their fair share of run-ins with police and know all too well the friction that exists between cops and the communities they’re supposed to serve. In a creative tag-team effort, the West Coast natives led a unification march for men of color en route to an LAPD graduation ceremony. The rappers urged protesters to put aside their rivalry and anger for a day of peace.
“We will stand as we are, UNIFIED. I’m calling ALL GANGS, ALL RACES, ALL GROWN MEN affiliated or not & we will stand UNIFIED,” The Game said in an Instagram post.
Photo: MediaPunch/REX.
Lena Dunham
Despite how some might try to spin it, the Black Lives Matter campaign isn’t about exclusion, but rather promoting the equal treatment of Black and brown people who are unjustly targeted and mistreated by police and the justice system at large. Like Olivia Wilde, Lena Dunham expertly dismantled the #AllLivesMatter foolishness with one swift and clever Tweet.
“When you respond to Black Lives Matter with All Lives Matter, you really make yourself look like a meatball and a dingus.” She continued, “Alton Sterling was killed because we refuse to acknowledge the fact that our police forces protect selectively and harm enormously. The job of white America now is to change.”
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