Music and fashion mogul Kanye West joined protestors in Chicago Thursday as they marched against police brutality after the murder of George Floyd. Footage of West at a march on the city’s South Side was tweeted by NBC Chicago reporter Trina Orlando, according to Page Six.
Entitled “Justice for George Floyd/CPD out of CPS,” the protest also highlighted efforts to get officials to remove officers from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) from Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Organized by Good Kids Mad City, representatives said West called Wednesday expressing his desire to join the protest, reported USA Today.
West wore a hoodie and face mask, but did not make any remarks to the crowd. According to USA Today reporter Grace Hauck, West didn’t stay at the protest long.
When the organization began to devolve as attendees realized West was there, 20-year-old Taylore Norwood addressed the crowd with a mega-phone in what seemed an indirect insult to Kanye.
“I would like to reiterate that this is a youth led rally. This is not a celebrity pop-up. You will not highjack this rally from the people who organized it,” Norwood said.
Kanye has been criticized by many who labeled him a coon for supporting U.S. President Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) platform, as well as saying slavery seemed like a choice Black people made.
However, he made headlines this week for different reasons that are reminiscent of “College Dropout” Kanye when TMZ reported he donated over $2 million to the families and legal teams of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
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West’s rep. also confirmed he set up a college fund for Floyd’s six-year-old daughter and is helping Black-owned businesses in the Chicago area, reported USA Today.
One of the Taylor family’s attorneys, Lonita Baker, said West wanted to make sure the family received all compensation awarded if they win their lawsuit against the Louisville Metro Police Department.
“Typically, the costs would be deducted from any recovery that the family may receive at the conclusion of the case,” Baker told USA Today. “Kanye wanted to ensure that the family would not have to bear the brunt of those costs.”
Social media is divided on West’s “Black card” status.
Here’s a video source for images: https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/kanye-west-joins-chicago-protesters-marching-for-george-floyd
