Tyrese Gibson says Beyonce and LeBron James must be protected “at all costs” because they’re such powerful advocates for racial equality.
The 41-year-old singer/ actor just dropped his new single “Legendary” and its powerful accompanying video “8:46,” which he says was inspired by the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Tyrese paid tribute to the celebrities who are attacked on social media for sharing their personal views on the controversial topics.
“Beyonce’s ‘Black is King’ changed my life and changed me forever,” he said. “We need to protect Beyonce at all costs. Whatever visions and ideas this powerful Black queen has bouncing around in her mind, we need to be willing to protect her at all costs. We need to protect LeBron James at all costs. He has decided to boldly and specifically step into carrying the torch of speaking up and speaking out.”
James, 35, has taken a lot of heat as the unofficial spokesman for the entire NBA. He called for a 2-day NBA boycott to protest in honor of Jacob Blake, the Black Wisconsin man who was shot 7 times in the back by a white police officer while trying to detain him on an outstanding warrant. Blake is paralyzed below the waist.
Tyrese also said he’s “so proud” of NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who started the practice of bending a knee during the National Anthem as a protest against police brutality. “Long before it was ever cool to speak up and speak out, he took a knee on behalf of peaceful protest. He compromised his own survival to peacefully protest and speak up and speak out about something that’s on his heart.”
