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RCA RecordsOn Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, T.I. and more have teamed up with #breathewithme Revolution and the Black Music Action Coalition to call on President-elect Joe Bidenand Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to turn protest into policy during their first 100 days in office.
The organizations and artists urge the Biden-Harris Administration to establish a Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation commission, with a video titled, “17 More Ways You Could Be Killed While Black in America.”
Each artist reads the names of individuals taken by “police violence, with Black people accounting for a disproportionate amount of those deaths.” Other artists read names of Black victims including George Floyd, Walter Wallace, Jr., Elijah McClain, Rayshard Brooks and Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old man confronted and killed by white men while jogging in Georgia one year ago next month.
“We all see it with our own eyes!” said Keys in a statement. “While we warmly welcome the Biden-Harris administration to the White House this week, let’s hold them accountable to offering actionable, systemic solutions to protecting and empowering Black Lives.
“On the day of ‘The Dream,’ let us not become complacent. Let’s stand up to ensure we see real change in the first 100 days of our new administration by joining the #breathewithme Revolution,” Keys added.
Vic Mensa, A$AP Ferg, Offset, Quavo, Rhapsody, Khalid, Summer Walker and more artists also participated in the “17…Ways” video. It follows the 2016 Mic video “23 Ways You Could Be Killed While Black In America,” which also starred Keys, Beyoncé, Pharrell and others.
By Rachel George
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