Pop star Justin Timberlake says the murder conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is “just the first step in a long line of injustice against the black community.”
“This verdict is just the first step in a long line of injustice against the Black community, often with no consequences,” Timberlake tweeted. “The work is not nearly done. While there are many more families waiting for justice, my heart is with George Floyd’s family right now.” He included the hashtag, “Police Reform NOW” at the end of his tweet.
On Tuesday, the jury found former Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges of killing George Floyd; second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.
Last summer, Timberlake proclaimed that the men who “believed in and benefitted from racism” built America.
“When we protest racism in America, people think we are protesting America itself. Why is that the reaction? Because America was built by men who believed in and benefitted from racism. Plain and simple,” the singer declared, adding that Confederate monuments “must come down.”
The pop star has also declared that “black people in America are not safe.”
In 2016, Timberlake apologized for praising actor Jessie Williams’ pro-Black Lives Matter speech at the 2016 BET Awards after critics accused him of “appropriating” black culture, and for suggesting, “we are the same.”
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