Ekin Karasin
Selena Gomez has announced that she will have influential black ‘leaders’ take over her Instagram. The 27-year-old admitted she ‘struggles’ to say the ‘right thing’ amid the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. She believes her 178million followers would benefit more from listening to ‘black voices’. The singer wrote: ‘I have been struggling to know the right things to say to get the word out about this important moment in history.
‘After thinking about how best to use my social media, I decided that we all need to hear more from Black voices. ‘Over the next few days I will be highlighting influential leaders and giving them a chance to take over my Instagram so that they can speak directly to all of us.’
Selena concluded: ‘We all have an obligation to do better and we can start by listening with an open heart and mind.’ Last week, the Lose You To Love Me singer declared that she can’t ‘sit in silence’ after hearing about George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. George, 46, died after white cop Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes despite his insistence that he ‘couldn’t breathe’. Selena wrote: ‘I have spent the last 24 hours just trying to process this all. Nothing anyone says can take back what has happened. But we can and must all make sure to take action. ‘Too many black lives have been taken from us for far too long. They deserve better. They deserve to be heard.’
Selena continued: ‘We all need to do better and not sit in silence as this injustice continues. #blacklivesmatter #justiceforgeorgefloyd #icantbreathe.’ The former Disney star joins a slew of celebrities demanding justice in the wake of George’s death. Riots have broken out across the US and UK, with protesters calling for an end to racism and police brutality.