Star Wars actor John Boyega recently attended the Black Lives Matter protests in London where he made an emotional and powerful speech to those fighting against racism and police brutality.
Hear about how you can support the fight below:
“Black lives have always mattered,” Boyega said during his speech. “We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded regardless. And now is the time. I ain’t waiting.”
“We are a physical representation of our support for George Floyd. We are a physical representation of our support for Sandra Bland. We are a physical representation of our support for Trayvon Martin. We are a physical representation of our support for Stephen Lawrence,” he said.
During his impassioned speech, Boyega told demonstrators “I’m speaking to you from my heart,” and added, “I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this, but f*ck that.”
It’s hard not to get emotional watching Boyega’s speech, and it’s just as upsetting that he feels as though he’s putting his career on the line in order to support black lives in this way.
After videos of Boyega’s speech hit the Internet, fans were quick to express their support for the actor.
Star Wars’ official Twitter account also reached out to Boyega. “Lucasfilm stands with John Boyega and his message,” the tweet reads. “The evil that is racism must stop. We will commit to be part of the change that is long overdue in the world. John Boyega, you are our hero.”
Despite the seemingly heartfelt message, fans wasted no time in calling out the film franchise for failing to support Boyega when he faced racism early on in his Star Wars career.
Boyega’s speech comes less than a week after he tweeted “I really f*cking hate racists,” and faced a ridiculous and completely unnecessary reaction from trolls.
In his protest speech, Boyega said, “I need you to understand how painful this sh*t is. I need you to understand how painful it is to be reminded every day that your race means nothing and that isn’t the case anymore, that was never the case anymore.”
They’re extremely powerful and moving words that we need to not only listen to, but act on in the fight for justice.
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