Darius Rucker Tells Fans ‘We Need to Do Better’

Darius Rucker had a message for his fans on Tuesday, sharing a lengthy and important message on Instagram discussing the current events in the United States. “This whole thing just really breaks me down to my core,” Rucker began before writing that his “heart goes out to George Floyd,” who was killed last week after a police offer knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes. “No man should die that way. I cannot watch that without tears welling in my eyes and a raw feeling of pain,” Rucker continued. “The men who did that should face the justice that is promised by our laws.”

The singer wrote that “As an American, a father, a son, a brother, a singer, a man… I have faced racism my whole life, from kindergarten to the life I live today. Racism is not a born thing; it is a taught thing. It is not a strong belief; it is a weak belief. It is not a financial issue; it is a hatred issue.” He explained that throughout his life, he put such treatment down to “that’s just the way it is” but that “it is no longer alright for me to perpetuate the myth that things are okay.” “I have kids whom I love and cherish, and to watch them go through this, to feel their anguish and anger trying to deal with this is heartbreaking for me,” he shared. “The question that keeps coming up is ‘will it ever change?’ And my answer now has to be ‘YES.’”

The 54-year-old implored fans to “come together somehow, y’all” and wrote how the “only way” things will change “is if we can change people’s hearts” first. “I don’t know how we are going to make that happen, but I am ready to try everything we have to do because we need to do better,” he continued. “The peaceful protesters out there are an extension of the legacy of the great Dr. King and Gandhi, and they are protesting to be heard. Take a moment and listen. I really hope that we get better as a nation. My request to you guys is to search your heart on behalf of all of us and root out any fear, hate or division you have inside of you. We need to come together.”

Rucker ended with a quote from famed black author and essayist, James Baldwin that read, “We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and the right to exist.”