Although Kanye West has been uncharacteristically quiet on social media recently, he has been working to support the Black Lives Matter movement and the families of recent victims of police violence by donating $2 million.
West’s donation has gone to several charities related to Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and to black-owned businesses in his hometown of Chicago. He’s also set up a college fund for Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter Gianna, and pledged to cover legal costs for Arbery and Taylor’s families.
West was also seen joining protesters on Chicago’s South side on Thursday.
In the past, West has been outspoken about political and social issues, and most recently has thrown his support behind President Donald Trump. So, fans had wondered why the rapper was so silent on this issue, and what his opinion on the matter would be when he finally spoke out.
With this response, West joins a long list of celebrities, including that have donated to the Black Lives Matter movement, bail funds for protesters, or to victims’ families. Even West’s wife, Kim Kardashian-West has been posting to social media, asking fans to sign petitions for Floyd and others.
Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis on May 25, after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes during an arrest. Chauvin and the other police officers at the scene have since been fired, and Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder. The three other officers who were at the scene, some who were also pressing on Floyd’s body, have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
