The country remains in a state of turmoil after centuries of brutality, income inequality and distrust have come to a boiling point with the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sean Reed and Ahmaud Arbery.
Throughout the week, the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota has stood as the center location for a nation that is grieving. After video of Floyd’s death circulated through social media, demonstrators took to the streets of Minneapolis only to be met with pepper spray, tear gas and other forms of force. Over the next 48 hours, large businesses like Target and Auto Zone experienced significant damage. Most notably, a police precinct fell to its knees as flames blazed through the sky.
Hours after demonstrators took to the streets on Thursday, former officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with third degree murder. However, a number of Minneapolis residents remained in custody after demonstrating throughout the week. As a result, many have looked for a way to help those in need of support.
Just gave $1000 to @MNFreedomFund. Celebrity accounts that follow me… match ?https://t.co/qMW7GnTpJs
— Noname (@noname) May 28, 2020
Leading the way, Noname challenged other public figures to donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund to assist those who are looking to make bail. Joining her, Aminé, J.I.D, Jessie Reyez and a number of other artists have publicly posted their donations on Twitter. Noname has gone on to highlight other organization who have similar aims such as the People’s Program in Oakland. With that being said, J.I.D has stated that despite their ability to financially support those who are demonstrating that people should not look to celebrities for guidance on these issues.
“Bro, don’t look to no damn rappers or celebrities for leadership right now, correct information is vital,” he tweeted.
Protests continue to erupt across the country in cities like Oakland, New York, Chicago and Atlanta. However, the other three officers who were shown on video along with Chauvin have not been arrested or charged.
