Jay-Z and his Roc Nation brand have taken out full-page ads in various
American newspapers to honour the life of George Floyd.
According to Rolling Stone, the
Rapper worked closely with various activists and attorneys to put the advert, which centres around a speech made by Martin Luther King in 1965, together.
The quote reads: “A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.
“So we’re going to stand up amid horses. We’re going to stand up right here, amid the billy-clubs. We’re going to stand up right here amid
police dogs, if they have them. We’re going to stand up amid tear gas!
“We’re going to stand up amid anything they can muster up, letting the world know that we are determined to be free!”In dedication to George Floyd. #BlackLivesMatter#JusticeforGeorgeFloydpic.twitter.com/FT25EBnPHJ— Team Roc (@teamroc) June 2, 2020The advert was featured in newspapers including the
New York Times, the
Chicago Tribune and the Philadelphia Enquirer, and was also shared on Team Roc’s
Twitter page, alongside the message: “In dedication to George Floyd.”
It was co-signed by
Jay-Z and representatives for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Innocence Project, Van Jones’ Reform Alliance, the Women’s Global Initiative.The parents of Botham Jean, DJ Henry and Antwon Rose II, all of whom were Black people killed by police officers, also co-signed the ad.
George Floyd died last week, after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes, while he protested that he couldn’t breathe.
Since Floyd’s death,
protests have broken out all over the world against police brutality, and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.READ MORE: George W Bush: George Floyd's Death Means It's Time To Listen, Not Lecture LA Residents Flood Zoom Meeting With Calls For LAPD Chief To Resign Trump Called In The
MILITARY To Scare Anti-Racist
protesters. They Showed Up Anyway