After the second unwarranted police killing of another black male, Philandro Castile, in two days (following the murder of Alton Sterling in Louisiana), Beyonce expresses her anger and devastation via her website and the internet.
In a note posted to Beyonce.com, the entertainer wrote a powerful letter to her fans, one of being fed up, one of action.
“We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities,” she writes. “It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they ‘stop killing us. We don’t need sympathy. We need everyone to respect our lives.”
She continues, “We’re going to stand up as a community and fight against anyone who believes that murder or any violent action by those who are sworn to protect us should consistently go unpunished.”
She then posted links for fans to be redirected various political sites to demand justice. “We all have the power to channel our anger and frustration into action. We must use our voices to contact the politicians and legislators in our districts and demand social and judicial changes,” she writes. “To contact your Congressman or woman click here. To voice protest for Alton Sterling, click here. To voice protest for Philando Castile, click here.”
Also, tonight in Glasgow, Scotland during a stop on her Formation Word Tour, the singer took time out for a moment of silence to recognize the victims of police brutality, and the list is staggering:
Beyonce just paused her Glasgow show for a moment of silence, displaying victims of police brutality #AltonSterling pic.twitter.com/REajdvlmUf
— Will (@TheAussieSide) July 7, 2016
Afterward, she sang “Freedom” and “Survivor,” her dancers noticeably holding up black power fists during the choreography.
After she displayed the victims’ names, she rocked Freedom, then Survivor (she choked up a little). So powerful. pic.twitter.com/PN12Jh12um
— Will (@TheAussieSide) July 7, 2016