Britney Spears' Instagram Supporting Black Lives Matter Sends A Powerful Message
Instagram seems like a safe space for Britney Spears. On the platform, she makes it known she believes in a lot of things: dancing like no one’s watching, praying every day, and wearing flirty crop tops with gloriously 2000s low-rise shorts. But her post on April 19 reveals something else about the 39-year-old pop legend. She’s been keeping up with the Black community’s fight for social justice — and she wants her 29 million followers to know. Britney Spears’ Instagram post supporting Black Lives Matter said what needed to be said.
The 39-year-old Glory artist’s post was unexpected, as Spears doesn’t typically speak out about current events on social media. Her Instagram usually showcases lighthearted content, like dancing videos, inspirational quotes, or family photos. Even when it comes to her own name making headlines (thanks to the Framing Britney Spears documentary and the ongoing conservatorship case it revolved around) she tends to embrace ambiguity rather than state her opinions loud and clear. However, Spears’ recent Instagram post is super direct in revealing the singer’s backing of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The photo depicted a Black man holding a poster referring to the generational trauma experienced by Black Americans. "White people have generational wealth, Black people have generational trauma... #wearenotthesame #BLM," the poster in the photo read. With the photo, Spears added a brief but clear caption. “Just sayin’!!!! #BlackLivesMatter #BLM."
While some fans were upset by Spears denouncing systemic racism in the U.S., most of her supporters seemed to appreciate her advocacy for social justice. “We looooove woke Britney yaaas,” one user comment on the post, which now has over 440 thousand likes.
Black Lives Matter, which protests anti-Black police brutality and violence, is an ongoing movement, so it is difficult to know exactly what event spurred Spears to share her thoughts. In April, police brutality has resulted in the death of 20-year-old Duante Wright of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Also, in Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin is currently on trial for George Floyd’s death. Regardless of Spears' reasoning, it's always encouraging to see celebrities use their platforms to back social change.
