Dan + Shay Call out 'Racism and Discrimination' Amid Protests Across US

Dan + Shay has broken their social media silence amid the protests in the United States following the death of George Floyd, speaking out to implore their fans to come together and work to end racism. On Sunday, band members Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney began their message by explaining that they had been taking a break from social media while putting the finishing touches on their upcoming album and "to take social distancing seriously," but ultimately decided to make a statement after the events of the past week.

"It has been quite difficult to remove ourselves from social media for the last few months, and we intended to stay inactive for a little bit longer, as we put the finishing touches on what we think is our best work yet, but this past week's events in Minneapolis changed that," the duo wrote in their post, which they called an update from their hearts. "When the news story began to break, so did our hearts. In fact, they shattered. For the family of George Floyd, and for the black community as a whole. This is not the first time this has happened, but by God, please let it be the last." Smyers and Mooney wrote that it is "truly devastating to think that someone could carry so much hate" and that "we, as humans, MUST come together to make a change."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dan + Shay (@danandshay) on May 30, 2020 at 11:03am PDT

"Racism and discrimination because of someone's skin color is simply just WRONG," they continued. "Politics and all other bulls— aside, we all have a giant responsibility to eliminate this issue, which has plagued our country for far too long." The duo wrote that while there are others who have a larger social media following than they do, they wanted to share their message in the hope that it inspires others to speak up as well. "At the end of the day, we can type novels, share stories, and promote activism on the internet, but this starts in the home," they concluded. "We must educate our children, and instill values of love and equality. We are all born innocent, and racism is something that is learned. Let's work together, NOW, to make a change. Please use your voice."

Many of Dan + Shay's fans applauded them for speaking out, thanking them for their words and calling them "so amazing in so many ways." Several people also wrote that they appreciated the duo for directly addressing the issue as members of the country music community, with one fan calling the message a "big step" and another writing that it was "refreshing" to see.