(Image via Twitter)
Music artist Drake spoke out in an open letter to his 25 million Instagram followers on Wednesday after watching a video showing the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, a black man shot and killed by police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, July 5.
“I am grateful to be able to call America my second home,” he began. “Last night when I saw the video of Alton Sterling killed it left me feeling disheartened, emotional, and truly scared. I woke up this morning with a strong need to say something.”
"It's impossible to ignore that the relationship between black and brown communities and law enforcement remains as strained as it was decade ago," Drake wrote. "No one begins their life as a hashtag. Yet the trend of being reduced to one continues."
He went on to say that he feels concerned for the safety of his family, friends, and “any human being that could fall victim to this pattern.”
“I believe things can change for the better,” he said. “Open and honest dialogue is the first step.”
See his full letter below:
A video surfaced Tuesday night showing Alton Sterling being shot multiple times while being held on the ground by two white police officers outside of a convenience store.
The officers were reportedly responding to a 911 call about a man with a gun.
Protests and calls for justice among politicians and celebrities alike emerged after video of the incident surfaced.
The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation on Wednesday into the fatal shooting, reports CNN, which will involve the U.S. Attorney General’s Office in Baton Rouge, the FBI, and Louisiana state police.