Since the murder of George Floyd, many celebrities have expressed their support for Black Lives Matter. But there’s a big difference between those who simply posted a black square in solidarity and those who’ve reached into their pockets to provide tangible assistance. This has led to a push from K-Pop band BTS to maximize donations to the movement.
BTS began with a $1 million donation to Black Lives matter, urging their #BTSArmy to match it with the #ARMYMatch1m hashtag. Now, they’ve been joined by Fast & Furious 9 star John Cena, who’s contributed $1 million, making for a total of $3 million.
Cena explicitly credited BTS and their fans for inspiring him, saying:
“Very happy to join #BTSARMY in efforts to match @BTS_twt tremendous donation #ARMYMatch1M”
In a further tweet, he expanded on his views on Black Lives Matter and the protests taking place across the nation and around the world, explaining:
“Change is never easy because it takes us admitting that our efforts and methods may be flawed to a point of severe distortion. Be brave and open minded in these moments. Welcome ideas and limit excuses. Change is uncomfortable but can yield much more joy for all in the long run.”
Cena being publicly minded and charitable isn’t a huge surprise, as the star has devoted himself to various causes throughout his career in pro wrestling and on screen. He’s a frequent fixture in anti-bullying and breast cancer campaigns and holds the Make-A-Wish foundation record for making visits to children, with over 600 to his name.
He also recently made a touching donation to the family of late wrestler Shad Gaspard, who died recently while being pulled into deep water during a riptide. On the GoFundMe page for Gaspard’s family, a person understood to be Cena donated $40,000 under the name CTC – the name of the wrestling team he and Gaspard were members of.
Contributions to Black Lives Matter causes are crucial at the moment, particularly in raising bail funds and paying lawyers fees for those arrested during the protests, so I hope John Cena and BTS’ actions inspire more wealthy celebrities to open their wallets and help out.