Saturday on CNN, anchor Don Lemon said called out Hollywood leaders and stars who were afraid to hurt their brand by speaking up amid the nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd.
Lemon said, “But what about the leadership in other places? What about Hollywood? Strangely quiet. I see them on Twitter, ‘Oh, I’m loving what Don Lemon’s doing,’ I’m loving what this person’s doing. But they’ve got to do more than that. Especially black celebrities and black leaders and while celebrities and rich Hollywood and rich folks and wealthy people. Why aren’t they helping these young people? These young people are out there standing on a platform at the edge of an abyss by themselves. And what they’re doing. Yes, I’m calling you out. You can be mad at me all you want. You’re sitting there watching TV, and you’re bitching about it. And you’re saying ‘Oh, my gosh, I can’t believe I’m watching this. What is going on?’ Stop texting me and asking me, ‘Oh, my gosh, Don, what is happening to our country?’ Stop tweeting me and telling me, ‘I’m loving what you’re doing.’ Get on television or do something and help these young people instead of sitting in your mansions and doing nothing and have some moral courage and stop worrying about your reputation and your brand.”
He continued, “I want to see every white person of power and influence and wealth out here fighting for this cause and young people, every black person of power and wealth and substance out here fighting for these young people. I’m not talking about the people who are out here looting and causing this but for the people who are the young kids who are doing the right thing. By me calling out your name, that doesn’t mean I’m calling you out. It means I love you, Ellen. It means I love you, Oprah. And I know they give millions of dollars to charity every year. But I mean your visibility in helping speak out for these people, these young kids. That’s what I’m talking about. And you may be doing something, and I don’t know about it. And if you are, then I apologize. Want to see you, Tracee Ellis Ross. I want to see you, Tyler Perry. I want to see you, Drake. I want to see all of you. I want to see you, my friend, Anthony Anderson. I love you. I love all of you. I want to see you doing this. I want to see you, Diddy, out there doing this. I want to see you, Jane Fonda, who I love and respect. I want to see you out here fighting for these kids.”
Lemon concluded, “Do something. Help change racism in this country.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN