Thomas Rhett, Lauren Akins stand up for George Floyd and all who share their daughter's 'beautiful brown skin'
With widespread protests across the US over the death of George Floyd, Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, said it is important for their African American daughter, Willa Gray, to grow up knowing her parents are determined to standing up "for every single person who shares her beautiful brown skin."
The couple took to social media to share a few emotional and touching posts where they opened up on fighting against racial injustice over the recent deaths of African Americans. In a shocking video released on May 25, white Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin is seen kneeling on Floyd's neck for eight minutes as he said he couldn't breathe. Thomas and Lauren shared that not standing up to fight racial injustice, especially now, felt like they were betraying their four-year-old daughter whom they had adopted from Uganda back in 2017.
While speaking about being a white mother to a black child, Lauren shared that she had been "nervous" to open up "because of how some people believe that I as a white mother am undeserving or incapable of raising a black daughter."
"I believe that shaming comes from people who choose to see only my white skin and her brown skin and refuse to see our hearts and love for each other," Lauren revealed. She added how she did have some anxiety about speaking right from the heart.
However, she added that the fear was overshadowed by her desire to make it clear to Willa Gray "that I am HER mother who stands up not only for her but for every single person who shares her beautiful brown skin."
"I want to be her mother who raises her to know what it means to have brown skin and to be proud of it. I want to be her mother who doesn’t listen to the shaming of skin colors but instead listens to the Spirit of God who knitted every skin color together in their mother’s womb for His glory," she shared.
"Because the truth is: I AM HER mother who FIGHTS for her. I am her mother who celebrates not only WHO she and her two sisters are, but WHOSE they are and exactly who God created them to be," she continued.
Lauren also has two other daughters, Ada James, 2, and Lennon Love, 3 months old, with her husband Thomas. She added that not speaking up "against injustice" was against everything she had stood for. "I do believe I’m being disobedient to God if I don’t speak up against injustice and fight for change. I believe if I stay silent I am betraying my brothers and sisters. I believe if I stay silent I am betraying my daughter," Lauren wrote.
She also encouraged her fans and followers to join her and speak up "loudly for injustices whether or not we share the same skin color, language, beliefs...the list goes on. I want my children to cling to the good. Love, peace, kindness, joy. I want them to BE the good. Injustice is evil. It breaks the heart of God. I pray He breaks every one of our hearts over this injustice until He returns," she said.
Thomas also took to his Instagram to make it clear that he had no tolerance for injustice. "So if there is any question on where I stand let me be clear- I stand with you, I stand with George and his family and all those who have faced racism. I stand with my wife and my daughters. We will be fighting this fight for the rest of our lives. Rest In Peace, George. We are not letting this go."