Janelle Monáe calls on white allies to stand up to racism

Janelle Monáe is calling on white allies to stand up in the ongoing fight against anti-Black racism and of systemic prejudice. The musician and actress opened up about her stance on protesters and the current social and racial climate in Variety’s 2020 Power of Women issue, revealing it’s more important than ever for the Black community to feel the support.“Because we need you,” Monáe told the publication in reference to white people and how they can step up in the wake of the killing of George Floyd on May 25. “We need more people inside these places, inside these police precincts and these buildings, to stand up. And to be marching. And to be right there with us.”

 

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??✨??BLACK SOLAR PLEXUS ?✨?⭐️??????? Thank you @variety I’d like to reflect light on a few black powerful women whose words and work have poured into me in ways they may not even know . These black women (some activists) have been leading the movement to fight for the lives and the rights of our people in many spaces . @osopepatrisse @tamikadmallory @opalayo @chasinggarza @taranajaneen #michellealexander @kimberlylatricejones @kimberlecrenshaw @mellodyhobson @repmaxinewaters @janetmock @sonyareneetaylor @littlemissflint @angelarye @jovianzayne @mspackyetti Follow them, listen to them, buy their work . #defundthepolice #abolishpolice #justiceforbreonnataylor✊?

A post shared by Janelle Monáe (@janellemonae) on Jun 9, 2020 at 1:55pm PDT

This isn’t the first time Monáe has spoken publicly about the importance of allies in the fight for Black Lives Matter. Following Floyd’s killing, she took to Instagram to express her anger and to call on others to join the fight. “I’m tired of talking and begging. This is a step. Only,” she wrote on May 28 alongside a link to a petition calling for the arrest of the officers involved in Floyd’s death. “WE NEED SYSTEMIC CHANGE and LONGTERM JUSTICE to be SERVED ON BEHALF OF OUR PEOPLE. Yes WE will keep speaking and marching AND BURNING SHIT DOWN.”[video_embed id='1961336']RELATED: Why Julia Roberts screamed when she saw Janelle Monae on the set of 'Homecoming'[/video_embed]The Homecoming star then specifically called on white people and police officers to step up and be heard, too. “AND when will the majority of protests & outrage be led by white people & police officers everywhere? Internally and publicly!” she continued. “These are your people murdering us. Why are OUR voices & outrage LOUDER THAN YOURS during these times? WE DIDN’T DO THIS. I’m tired of US HAVING TO DO THE WORK YOU SHOULD BE DOING.”On June 6, Monáe was also among the celebrities calling attention to the case of Breonna Taylor on what would have been her 27^th birthday.In recent days, Monáe has also used her social media platforms to amplify important Black voices like author and poet Sonya Renee Taylor, activist Tamika D. Mallory, and author/screenwriter Kimberly Latrice Jones. She is also among the celebrities who have donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a nonprofit that helps fund bail money for those who have been arrested while protesting. Don Cheadle, Seth Rogen and Chrissy Teigen have also donated.

Just matched you . ???? https://t.co/lp0ZtdRvTX

— Janelle Monáe, Cindi Mayweather (@JanelleMonae) May 28, 2020

Monáe revealed in the Variety article that she is also donating to Local Initiative Support Corp., a non-profit organization that helps businesses and individuals who need loans and grants—especially right now in the wake of COVID-19. “They are anticipated to provide close to 1,000 cash grants of up to $10,000,” she explained. “Ninety-six per cent of those grants are going to women, LGBTQ, minority, and veteran-owned small businesses.”She also opened to the mag about how meaningful representation is, especially when it comes to popular culture, and how her lead role and character arc in Season 2 of Homecoming is especially powerful."To have a Black woman and an Asian woman in a relationship on TV is the type of representation that we need,” she said, adding that “being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community is an honor.”[video_embed id='1974202']RELATED: The Instagram takeover giving Black voices a massive, much-needed platform[/video_embed]