Selena Gomez and Lady Gaga announced Thursday they are giving their Instagram accounts over to individuals and organizations fighting racism.
The pop stars currently have a combined 220 million Instagram followers.
“I have been struggling to know the right things to say to get the word out about this important moment in history,” wrote Gomez, who has 178 million followers. “After thinking about how best to use my social media, I decided that we all need to hear more from Black voices.
“Over the next few days I will be highlighting influential leaders and giving them a chance to take over my Instagram so that they can speak directly to all of us. We all have an obligation to do better and we can start by listening with an open heart and mind.”
Gaga, who has more than 42 million Instagram followers, explained: “Starting [Friday], I’m giving over my Instagram account to each of the organizations I’ve recently donated to, in an effort to amplify their important voices. And after I vow to regularly, in perpetuity, across all of my social media platforms, post stories, content, and otherwise lift up the voices of the countless inspiring members and groups within the Black community.”
Gaga has 81.6 million Twitter followers and nearly 57 million on Facebook.
Both Gomez and Gaga have raised their voices since the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers on May 25 sparked protests around the world.
“Nothing anyone says can take back what has happened,” Gomez shared on Instagram earlier. “But we can and must all make sure to take action. Too many black lives have been taken from us for far too long. They deserve better. They deserve to be heard. We all need to do better and not sit in silence as this injustice continues.”
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Gaga previously wrote: “The voices of the black community have been silenced for too long and that silence has proven deadly time and time again. And no matter what they do to protest, they are still met with no compassion by the leaders that are meant to protect them. Everyday people in America are racist, that’s a fact … We haven’t, as a privileged community, done enough to fight racism and stand up for those people who are being killed by it.”