As people all over the country speak out in protest against recent events, Chris Young has added his voice to the group, sharing a message on social media on Monday following the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a black man who was unarmed at the time, died last week in police custody after he was pinned to the ground by a white officer who placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost 9 minutes.
“The death of George Floyd is heartbreaking,” Young wrote in a message to his followers. “The circumstances are terrifying. Period. I don’t know how we fix this, but this is something we have to fix.” He also discussed racism specifically and wrote that it “is not something that should be ignored, and is something that should not exist.” He concluded, “Sorry, but I can’t just stay silent on this.”
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On Tuesday, Young joined many in posting a black square to his Instagram page, a gesture that the “Drowning” singer and thousands of others took in an effort to support Blackout Tuesday on social media. The initiative, which was started by two black women in the music industry, was conceived as a way to amplify black voices and continue to draw attention to the racial injustices currently taking place in the United States.
The Tennessee native is one of a number of country artists that have spoken up about the issue on their social media platforms, including Young’s “Think of You” collaborator Cassadee Pope, who shared her own message over the weekend. “Silence from fear of disapproval only increases fear in those who deserve peace. We have to speak out against racism,” Pope wrote. “We have to speak out against white privilege.” She also encouraged her followers “to stop enabling those around us who say things that ARE racist but preface their remarks with ‘I’m not racist, but…’”
“This complete lack of respect for minorities has no place in this world,” The Voice winner explained. “It has only made hate, violence and aggression erupt, and lives end. My heart breaks over the pain and suffering my black brothers and sisters have endured. Yes, I said brothers and sisters. We are all connected. We are all intertwined in the universe. We should ALL be treated equally.”
