Ayesha Curry shares moving pics from Oakland BLM protests, asks her fans to 'keep lining the streets'
Ayesha Curry has shared her experience at the Oakland Black Lives Matter protests on Instagram and encouraged her fans to “show up however you can and keep showing up”. She joined the protests in Oakland, California, on June 3. Taking to the social media platform, Curry shared pictures and a video of the peaceful protests happening in the city following the death of George Floyd, who died on May 25 in police custody after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes.
In a lengthy caption accompanying the images, the 31-year-old wrote: “Today was filled with many emotions. On one hand, I was overwhelmed with happiness to see my community show up, yet again to fight for what is right. I witnessed people from all different backgrounds peacefully protesting. People out for a jog or walk noticing the crowd and putting their own needs on pause to join the cause and march with us.”
She continued: “My happiness then became overshadowed with immense sadness and disbelief. I began to come to the realization that we were walking the same streets, the same path, and course that we’ve taken time and time again for the championship parades. Celebrating “victory”... streets lined with hundreds of thousands of fans cheering on and congratulating many (and most) of whom are black men. People show up and show out for these moments.
“While I was appreciative and proud of the crowd that showed to march for justice today, I couldn’t help but wonder where all of these people were now, that just a few years before lined and covered the streets to celebrate in these black men’s successes. Now when black men, when black people need an assist, defense, a team... where is everyone? Where is everyone?”
Through her post, Curry encouraged her fans to “show up however you can and keep showing up”. “Keep lining the streets, keep filling the feeds, keep informing your friends. We have the power to shift and change things. I promise you at this moment, right now... this is the victory and the celebration you want to be telling your children and your children’s children about,” the ‘Family Food Fight’ star said. Curry also mentioned the importance of voting and implored fans to “please please please vote! We can protest, shout from the rooftops but the missing puzzle piece is the vote. Let’s do it!”
The post of the mother-of-three comes as people across the US continue to protest and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, following the death of Floyd. Several celebrities have spoken out against police brutality and racism, with figures like Rihanna and Kandi Burruss encouraging people to make their ‘voices’ matter by casting their votes in primaries leading to the presidential election in November.
“VOTE. Ya ain’t got sh** else to do man! Get yo ass off the couch and go vote!!! I don’t wanna hear another excuse!! Stop believing that your vote and voice don’t matter! This the illest way to protest...vote for the change you want!!!” Rihanna said in an Instagram post.
Burruss also reminded people to go vote on a social media post, writing: “I have to remind y’all to VOTE today! DC, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, & South Dakota today is voting day for you. Please go vote! If I’m missing a state that also has a voting day today please comment below.”