Beyoncé has taken a much more activist stance since the release of “Formation” at the end of 2015. That continued with the aesthetic and message of Lemonade, and continues on into her Formation World Tour. Now, she’s edited her website so that the whole thing is devoted to “Freedom,” which is a white-on-black statement in response to the killing of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.
Sterling was a 37-year-old man who was killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after a homeless man, who had begged him for money, reportedly called the police and said that he was armed and dangerous. The police struggled with Sterling, eventually tackling him to the ground and fatally wounding him. He died Tuesday. Castile was a 32-year-old public school employee who was killed during a routine traffic stop outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died Wednesday. Both incidents were caught on film.
You can read Beyoncé’s full statement below — or at her site. At the bottom of the website, Beyoncé links to official Louisiana and Minnesota websites in order to voice protest for the victims, as well as a site to contact your specific congressperson. (But, it seems that Beyoncé’s post may have caused that last site to go down.)
UPDATE: At a show in Glasgow, Beyoncé paused her show to pay a moment for victims of police brutality.
Drake and Chance The Rapper also spoke out about the killings earlier.