Shawn Mendes, Lady Gaga & Selena Gomez Give Their Instagram's Over To Black Activists & Change Makers
8 June 2020, 16:57
Celebrities including Shawn Mendes, Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez have given their enormous Instagram platforms over to black activists and change makers to allow them to reach the millions of fans they have.
Celebrities including Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes and Selena Gomez have given their social accounts over to activists and black change makers in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, allowing them to be seen and heard by millions of their followers.
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Shawn Mendes wrote to his 56 million followers: "I’ve decided to hand over my platform on Instagram & give my stories for the next few days to some incredible young Black change makers on the frontlines in the fight against systemic racism."
"Please receive them with love and solidarity. The first is @zysaidso."
Using their enormous platforms to put black people, activists and organisations centre stage and allow them be heard by millions of people is a powerful stand of solidarity and allows people better versed in the Black Lives Matter movement to use their voice instead of the singer, who admittedly doesn't know as much on the subject.
first selena, then lady gaga and now shawn mendes. they will give their instagram accounts to black people to talk about what is happening right now. 👏🏼 can’t wait to see how many other artists will join selena 🖤
— ً (@ohstaysel) June 5, 2020
Lady Gaga has given her account, with 42 million followers, over to a number of organisations she's recently donated to, pledging to lift up black voices after as well.
She wrote: "Starting tomorrow, I’m giving over my Instagram account to each of the organisations I’ve recently donated to, in an effort to amplify their important voices."
"And after I vow to regularly, in perpetuity, across all of my social media platforms, post stories, content, and otherwise lift up the voices of the countless inspiring members and groups within the Black community."
Selena, who at one time was the most followed person on Instagram, has an incredible 179 million followers, and has given her platform over to activists including Alicia Garza, who co-founded Black Lives Matter, Jelani Cobb, a journalist and historian and academic Kimberlé Crenshaw.
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