The official Twitter account of Star Wars released a Tweet declaring their support for the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. The Tweet comes as the latest in a series of social media campaigns where celebrities, companies and – in this case – franchises, express their solidarity with the protests that have been going on throughout the country in response to the unlawful death of African American George Floyd.
— Star Wars (@starwars) May 31, 2020
One of countless black victims of racially-motivated police brutality, Floyd was choked to death less than a week ago. His murder came at the hands of cops who arrested him for passing and possessing an insignificantly small amount of counterfeit currency. Many Americans feel that the disproportional punishment for the crime committed – let alone the unprofessional treatment shown by law enforcement – is indicative of the institutionalized racism that has haunted America for centuries.
Numerous prominent Americans have joined the movement, and used their influence on social media to rally support for the protests. A few days ago, Being John Malkovich actor John Cusack was harassed by policemen when filming a burning car on the streets of Chicago. Around the same time, The Flash actor Kendrick Sampson was shot at with rubber bullets while attending protests in Los Angeles. Others, like singers Ariana Grande and Halsey, as well as rapper Machine Gun Kelly, have also gone out on the street to voice their dissatisfaction with the status quo.
Meanwhile, several of their famous colleagues have joined the cause online. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey and pop star Beyoncé have expressed their sympathy for Floyd, as well as the protesters who have taken up arms in his name, and urged their fans to do the same. In one amazing, though certainly justified move, late night host Jimmy Kimmel linked the chaos enveloping the country back to the careless messages and prejudiced disposition of President Donald Trump, and urged his viewers to vote him out of office come next election.
Now, Star Wars is repeating that sentiment.
