Billie Eilish writes about George Floyd: "Black lives fucking matter"
Billie Eilish has shared a message of support for George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in which she rebukes those opposed to the movement.
The singer, 18, wrote in an Instagram post today (May 30) that she would attempt to explain why black lives matter while imagining opponents as children because it “feels like that’s the only way you [motherfuckers] will understand”.
At various points in the message she addresses people who have called for “all lives matter” after riots erupted this week over the murder of George Floyd, a black man who was involved in an incident with a white police officer.
Eilish went on to outline a number of analogies in which all lives do not matter. “This is not about you”, she said about white people. “You are not in need. You are not in danger”.
She asked: “If your friend gets a cut on their arm are you gonna wait to give all your friends a bandaid first because all arms matter?
“If someone’s house was on fire and someone is stuck in the house, are you gonna make the fire department go to every other house on the block first because all houses matter? No! Because they don’t fucking need it. You are privileged whether you like it or not. Society gives privilege just for being white. You can be poor, you can be struggling. And still your skin colour is giving you more privilege than you even realise.”
She continued: “If all lives matter, why are black people killed for just being black? Why are white people given opportunities that people of other races aren’t?
“Why is it ok for black people to be called thugs for protesting the murder of innocent people? Do you know why???? White. fucking. privilege,” she wrote.
Eilish tagged the message at the end with “#justiceforgeorgefloyd”.
Floyd was a 46-year-old black man who died on May 25 after being apprehended by a white police officer. Derek Chauvin has since been sacked and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Other musicians have used their platforms to speak out against and fundraise for the killing of Floyd as well as police brutality in the US, including Killer Mike and Bon Iver.
