Johnny Depp has joined the group of artists who are fighting against racism in the United States. Amber Heard’s former husband urged everyone to join the movement in a lengthy post on Instagram.
Johnny Depp is using his platform to support Black Lives Matter. He shared an eight-minute video of the American rapper, Killer Mike, who delivered a strong message at the Mayor’s office in Atlanta, where the protests and riots in the city turned for the worst.
The call for humanity
In a lengthy message, the 56-year-old actor detailed the heartbreaking death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last month. He questioned the “grotesque illustration of the abuse of power” after Floyd died at the hands of a policeman.
From here, he touched on the issues of police brutality and systematic racism in the country.
“There is no way to make sense of what is senseless,” he said on his post on Instagram. “There is no way to restore a life that has been taken.”
Johnny Depp suggested that what people could do right now was to make a promise within themselves to stop racism and ignorance. He described these things as “judgmental ugliness” that should never be an option to anyone.
He also called for a change and asked everyone to demand it. The Pirates of the Caribbean star then introduced Killer Mike, who is his dear friend and brother. He called him a brilliant musician, artist, and activist for social justice, who is also a son of an Atlanta policeman.
“I beg everyone to listen to the remarks of this true statesman,” Johnny Depp added. “True statesmen have never been so needed, and they’ve never been in such short supply.”
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Johnny Depp, no stranger to racism issues
Johnny Depp is no stranger to racism issues. His Dior ad in August 2019 sparked outrage for using Native American culture and symbols, USA Today reported.
At the time, the posh French brand shared a clip of its men fragrance, called Sauvage, featuring the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s Canku One Star. The Fancy War dancer was wearing traditional garb.
As part of the Sauvage campaign, the Hollywood Vampires member appeared in a film, titled We are the Land, which was an “ode to Mother Earth.” Hence, the dancer’s inclusion was a “powerful tribute to this culture, portrayed with immense respect.”
Although the ad was made with the help of Native American consultants, it still received heavy criticisms. It was called out for being “insensitive” and carrying an offensive name.
The critics then decried Johnny Depp’s involvement in the ad. However, after the backlash, Dior decided to remove it from all of its social media accounts and its other traces online.
Featured image used courtesy of Andy Templeton/Flickr/CC By 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) Cropped & Resized