As tensions between protestors and law enforcement build in the wake of George Floyd’s death, Lady Gaga is offering some words of encouragement to those who remain angry and frustrated.
Gaga, who recently dropped her new album, Chromatica, took to social media Saturday night (May 30) to share her thoughts about the death of Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. In her lengthy post, the singer encouraged support for the black community and criticized President Trump’s handling of racial tension during his time in office.
“Right now is a critical time for the black community to be supported by all other communities so we can put a stop to something that is intrinsically wrong by the grace of God or whatever creator you do or do not believe in,” Gaga wrote on Instagram. “I urge people to speak gently to each other, speak with passion, inspiration, and impress the importance of this issue until the systems that keep us sick die, instead of people we love.”
Lady Gaga joins a long list of celebrities speaking out after Floyd’s death, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande and Chance the Rapper.
Last week, a video of the unarmed black man’s death surfaced revealing Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd for eight minutes. Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Floyd.
Over the weekend, dozens of protests — some of which turned violent — broke out in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Jose, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. In her note, Gaga denounced violence as a solution to the problem and pledged to peacefully stand up for the rights of her fellow citizens.
“We MUST show love for the black community. As a white, privileged woman, I take an oath to stand by that. We haven’t, as a privileged community, done enough to fight racism and stand up for those people who are being killed by it,” the singer wrote. “This isn’t justice. This is an epic tragedy that defines our country and has for a long time. I am sad. I am angry. And I will use the words that I can find to try to communicate what needs to change in as an effective and non-violent way as possible for me.”
Read Gaga’s full post below.
