Voicing his support for the Black Lives Matter protests that have spread across the country, The Beatles icon calls for fans of all backgrounds to speak out against racial injustice.
- Jun 6, 2020
AceShowbiz - Paul McCartney is "sick and angry" at the widespread instances of police brutality and systematic racism still prevalent across the U.S., insisting, "Saying nothing is not an option."
The Beatles icon has become the latest star to weigh in on the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the recent death of African-American George Floyd, who lost his life after a white police officer in Minnesota kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Declaring his support for demonstrators, who have taken to the streets around the globe, McCartney called for fans of all backgrounds to speak out against injustice in order to work towards a better, more unified future.
"As we continue to see the protests and demonstrations across the world, I know many of us want to know just what we can be doing to help. None of us have all the answers and there is no quick fix but we need change," he wrote online.
"We all need to work together to overcome racism in any form. We need to learn more, listen more, talk more, educate ourselves and, above all, take action."
The rocker, who provided links to organizations such as Black Lives Matter, Color of Change, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, went on to recall fighting for equal rights back in 1964, when he and his Beatles bandmates refused to play to a segregated audience in Jacksonville, Florida, forcing venue officials to back down on their rule.
Their show at the Gator Bowl became the first to feature a non-segregated audience, and prompted the Fab Four to introduce a new "common sense" contract clause guaranteeing their crowds would not be separated according to race.
Sharing his frustration at ongoing racial issues long after the Civil Rights movement, McCartney concluded, "I feel sick and angry that here we are almost 60 years later and the world is in shock at the horrific scenes of the senseless murder of George Floyd at the hands of police racism, along with the countless others that came before."
"I want justice for George Floyd's family, I want justice for all those who have died and suffered. Saying nothing is not an option."
