Lizzo was kicked out of vacation rental by property owner who racially-profiled her and friends

Lizzo and her group of friends were forced to pull up stakes mid-vacation and find another rental home after a property owner not only kicked the group out of their original getaway spot but also threatened to call the police, telling the 2020 BET R&B/Pop Artist of the Year that she and her vacationing girlfriends could “hurt him” in what's being labelled an act of anti-Black racism.The Black Lives Matter movement has trained a harsh, direct and crucial spotlight on what it means to threaten to “call the police” or to actually follow through with it (see: Amy Cooper’s racist Central Park meltdown and dozens of other recent and historical incidents). Statistically, Black people are far more likely to die during an interaction with police than white people—the Washington Post recently cited the statistic that one in every 1,000 Black men in the U.S. will die at the hands of police and it's the same bleak story here in Canada. These unflinching numbers combined with the real-life experiences means that threatening to call the police—be it over a mental health episode, a traffic dispute, or, in Lizzo’s case, a… *checks notes* pool party—is a threat that implicitly contains violence.[video_embed id='1989099']Bestselling author Nic Stone on the importance of Black representation in YA literature[/video_embed]Of course, Lizzo navigated the conflict with her trademark style and wit by upgrading her accommodations and clapping back at the renter who wronged her on social media, filling her nine-million-plus Instagram followers in on the man’s racist behaviour. She also let the man himself know that she’s not mad—she found somewhere far better for her friends to vacation. "I know you’re watching my page," the Grammy winner wrote, "so I just want you to know you can’t stop this black girls’ shine.”

 

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This is for the man that kicked me out of my 7-day rental 3 days early yesterday. This is for mocking the way that I dance and for using Instagram footage of me and my 6 black homegirls to say that we could ‘hurt him’ and threaten to call the police. I know you’re watching my page so I just want you to know you can’t stop this black girls’ shine. Thanks for kicking us out cus this house is better anyways. Xoxo ??

A post shared by Lizzo (@lizzobeeating) on Jul 5, 2020 at 6:56pm PDT

And the singer kept it classy by keeping mum as to the location of the property and the name of the owner (DMs are open for intel, though). Instead, Lizzo simply continued her week-long trip somewhere more twerk-friendly and accepting.[video_embed id='1988798']BEFORE YOU GO: Disney fan turns into his favourite characters[/video_embed]