ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesJustin Timberlake is speaking out against Confederate monuments in his home state of Tennessee and across the U.S.
In an Instagram post Monday, the singer took a moment to explain why he’s advocating to have those statues removed.
“When we protest racism in America, people think we are protesting America itself. Why is that the reaction?” he writes. “Because America was built by men who believed in and benefited from racism. Plain and simple.”
Justin continues, “This is when you hear ‘But that’s all in the past.’ So let’s be clear… those men who proudly owned and abused Black people are STILL celebrated all over the country.”
Justin explains there are “roughly 1,848 confederate statues of in the US,” with more than half of them in the South, a fact he calls “not acceptable.”
“No one should be protecting the legacies of confederate leaders and slave owners,” he writes.
“If we plan to move forward, these monuments must come down,” Justin concludes. “But let’s remember: Removing these statues does not erase our country’s vile history of oppression — removing them is a symbol of respect for Black people in America and it’s a step towards progress and actual equality for all.”
His calls come after Taylor Swift last month made a similar statement, calling for the removal of Confederate statues in Tennessee.
By Andrea Tuccillo
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