Canadian singer The Weeknd recently donated $250,000 to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Representatives for the Grammy-winning R&B star confirmed the news of the hefty donation to The Fader on Wednesday.
The quarter million-dollar gift to Black Lives Matter came days after The Weeknd — real name Abel Tesfaye — made a $50,000 donation to the University of Toronto to help establish the school’s Ethiopic Studies program, according to the Associated Press. The 26-year-old singer hails from Toronto, and his parents were reportedly born in Ethiopia.
The Weeknd has previously expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. In the wake of the police-involved shooting deaths of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling last month, the singer tweeted, “Enough is enough.”
“It’s time to stand up for this. We can either sit and watch, or do something about it. The time is now,” he tweeted, adding the hashtag “#blacklivesmatter.”
The singer posted a follow-up tweet shortly afterward: “#bluelivesmurder.”
The Weeknd has tussled with police before; the singer was arrested in January of this year for allegedly punching a police officer during an altercation in Las Vegas.
The “Can’t Feel My Face” singer isn’t the only Grammy-winning artist to make a significant donation to the anti-police organization; in February, rapper Jay-Z announced that his streaming service Tidal would donate $1.5 million from a charity concert to Black Lives Matter and other social justice organizations.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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