The Walking Dead cast and crew have spoken out on social media in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement, including creator Robert Kirkman and stars of the show Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Khary Payton.
To begin with, the official TWD Twitter account posted several messages about the movement, resulting in the page revealing that they’ve lost “quite a few followers” in response. However, this isn’t going to stop them from continuing.
Looks like we lost quite a few followers after posting about #BLM. We hope those who left educate themselves on these vital racial issues and learn to stand alongside their Black neighbors. #TWDFamily prides itself on its diversity. And if you want to leave over this, then ✌🏽
— The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingDead) June 3, 2020
Robert Kirkman then retweeted this post, adding his own support to the matter and offering some important words about transforming this “time of hate” into a “time of learning and hopefully, progress.”
The #TWDfamily is only a family if all members enjoy the same level of safety, security & prosperity. Let’s all do the work needed to open our eyes to injustice so we can turn this time of hate into a time of learning and hopefully, progress. #BLM https://t.co/7Ltw5gz5xX
— Robert Kirkman (@RobertKirkman) June 3, 2020
The TWD account also shared some images of Daryl Dixon himself, Norman Reedus, getting involved with peaceful protests in Los Angeles.
https://twitter.com/TheWalkingDead/status/1268076521261985792
Among the many actors speaking up about BLM was Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays former villain Negan on the series. Similar to Kirkman, Morgan encouraged those who haven’t personally experienced racism and prejudice to ask questions rather than go uneducated. “Listen. Learn. Then speak. Those that do? Go nuts.” Hear hear.
For those that don’t know, have questions: Listen. Learn. Then speak. Those that do? Go nuts. #blacklivesmatter https://t.co/UBnUPhjRaN
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) June 2, 2020
Meanwhile, Payton – who’s portrayed Ezekiel on the show since season 7 – posted an image and caption he’d originally shared on Instagram. A moving message, the star talks openly about the difficult, conflicted feelings that the current social situation has brought up.
— Khary Payton (@kharypayton) May 30, 2020
Civil unrest continues to rise following the brutal, tragic and totally unnecessary murder of George Floyd. The movement, which has stretched outside the US and across the globe, has already resulted in all four police officers involved with Floyd’s death being charged for the crime. However, this isn’t calming the betrayal many feel as the Black Lives Matter movement is now demanding much bigger, systemic change.
The Walking Dead is currently on hiatus but will return to AMC for the airing of its tenth season finale sometime later this year.
Published: Jun 4, 2020 09:46 am