Kelis used her platform — and her hair — to make a bold statement. The singer shared her new hairdo, dedicated to her ‘peoples blood that was spilled,’ in a new Instagram post. See the before and after photos.
Kelis sent a powerful message with her new hair style, one that she showed off on her Instagram account on June 4. In the image, the “Bossy” singer, 40, turned her back to the camera, which captured her platinum blonde, buzzed haircut. This time, however, Kelis’s ‘do had a new addition of a fist outline with green, black, and red dye near the nape of her neck, which you can see below.
“Red for my peoples blood that was spilled. Black we are the people. Green for the land that is ours. I [heart] my people,” Kelis captioned the image in capital letters. The red, black, and green colors also serve to symbolize the Black Liberation flag, a tri-color flag that features the colors in horizontal stripes.
It’s a bold statement from the singer, who is clearly standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Throughout her current Instagram story, Kelis has posted resources, viral videos, and messages directed toward racial injustice and inciting white people, specifically, to educate themselves on the fraught history between the justice system, police, and the Black community. And Kelis is not alone in using her platform.
Across the globe, public figures and celebrities alike have been using their heightened profiles to speak out and show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, following the brutal death of unarmed Black man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Stars like Halsey, Keke Palmer, Harry Styles and more have taken to the streets of Los Angeles to protest systemic racism and police brutality, while at the same time, actors like John Boyega have given impassioned speeches to a bevy of protesters in London. A number of stars like Cole Sprouse have been arrested for their efforts, but have used the opportunity to turn the focus back on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Protests continue across the country to this day, while the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Many stars, like Kelis, have been using their social media as a means of heightening awareness. Beyonce, herself, took to social media to remind her fans and followers to maintain their focus during this time. But as the peaceful rallies continue on, many are looking for further resources to educate themselves and donate to, some of which you can find here.