Beyoncé Pens Powerful Letter in Response to Police Violence
Image via @beyonce
Following news of the tragic killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille at the hands of police officers, Beyoncé took advantage of her influential position to write a letter telling readers: “It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they ‘stop killing us.'”
Understanding the feeling of helplessness that many felt as graphic video of the events showed up on our timelines, Beyoncé wrote, “These robberies of lives make us feel helpless and hopeless but we have to believe that we are fighting for the rights of the next generation, for the next young men and women who believe in good.”
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Image via @beyonce
Following news of the tragic killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille at the hands of police officers, Beyoncé took advantage of her influential position to write a letter telling readers: “It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they ‘stop killing us.'”
Understanding the feeling of helplessness that many felt as graphic video of the events showed up on our timelines, Beyoncé wrote, “These robberies of lives make us feel helpless and hopeless but we have to believe that we are fighting for the rights of the next generation, for the next young men and women who believe in good.”
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“This is a human fight. No matter your race, gender or sexual orientation.”
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Published on her website, the letter is followed by a call to action that reads: “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. To contact your Congressman or woman click here. To voice protest for Alton Sterling, click here. To voice protest for Philando Castile, click here.”
Read the full letter below (and continue reading to see footage from her show in Glasgow this evening, in which she paused to pay tribute to victims of police violence).
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Beyoncé singing Freedom acapella in honor of victims of police brutality while displaying their names. A STATEMENT. pic.twitter.com/4AtH6UlCyy
— ️ (@goddessyonce) July 7, 2016
Beyoncé paused her show for a moment of silence, displaying victims of police brutality. https://t.co/8RyyZZo3XS pic.twitter.com/rnEEICui7g — Complex (@ComplexMag) July 7, 2016