George Clooney Pens Powerful Essay in Light of George Floyd’s Death
George Clooney has penned a powerful essay calling racism “our pandemic” as the U.S. heads into another week of protests.
His essay follows the death of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis citizen who was killed when taken into police custody by a white officer. Floyd’s death has sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the country and spurred many celebrities into using their platforms to take action against anti-black racial discrimination.
George Clooney wants all Americans to vote in order to fight against systematic racism.https://t.co/MPuTmNV8So
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) June 1, 2020
Clooney begins his essay by firmly stating that “there is little doubt that George Floyd was murdered”, and highlights the tragic similarities between Floyd’s death and that of Eric Garner, who died under similar circumstances in 2014. He goes on to foreground the necessity of sustainable foundational changes to uproot racism, saying we need “systemic change in our law enforcement and in our criminal justice system”.
Clooney also took a swipe at President Trump as he shared some hard truths, calling for “policymakers and politicians that reflect basic fairness to all of their citizens equally. Not leaders that stoke hatred and violence as if the idea of shooting looters could ever be anything less than a racial dog whistle”.
While the Hollywood legend has stepped back from the limelight in recent years, his recent contribution to the fight against racism shows social media isn’t the only means of affecting change. What we need to do is speak out. Words have power and we can all use our voices for good.
You can partially show your support by reading and sharing Clooney’s full article, available via The Daily Beast site.
