Kanye West is showing his support for the fight against injustice and has contributed to the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in a huge way.
According to a report from TMZ on Thursday (June 4), the Chicago native has donated $2 million to the families and legal teams representing Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Kanye has also reportedly arranged a 529 savings fund to cover the full cost of college tuition for Gianna Floyd, Floyd's 6-year-old daughter.
’Ye's contribution to the three families comes shortly after the numerous protests that have taken place across the country in honor of Arbery, Taylor and Floyd. Additionally, news of the donation comes on the heels of the four former Minneapolis, Minn. police officers being charged for George Floyd's murder and the three men involved in Arbery's death appearing in court for a preliminary hearing.
Ahmaud Arbery was chased by two White men, Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, back in February while jogging in an area outside of Brunswick, Ga. Arbery and Travis, who was armed, got into a struggle and shortly after, Travis shot 25-year-old Arbery three times. Travis McMichael was charged with murder and felony assault. His father and former police officer Gregory McMichael was hit with the same charges. William "Roddie" Bryan Jr., the man who recorded the footage of the fatal shooting that surfaced on the internet last month, was also charged with felony murder and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment. All three men appeared in court today for a probable cause hearing to determine if their case will go to trial.
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT from Louisville, Ky., was shot and killed in her own home by police back in March. According to a report from CNN, Taylor was shot at least eight times when three officers forcefully entered her apartment to serve a search warrant for a narcotics investigation. The police suspected her home was a residence housing drugs, none of which were found. The Louisville Metro Police Department said the officers, who were not wearing body cameras, announced themselves when entering the home and fired shots after Taylor's boyfriend did so. However, Taylor's mother says no announcement was made when the officers came into the home. The FBI is currently investigating her case.
George Floyd, 46, was suffocated while in police custody last month by an officer who pinned his knee onto Floyd's neck. The officer Derek Chauvin has since been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department and was arrested and charged with second degree-murder. The other three officers who were on the scene at the time have also been fired. They were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, according to CNN.
Kanye is one of many members of the hip-hop community to take a stand for the many lives taken due to racism and police brutality. On Thursday, S. Lee Merritt, the attorney representing the family of Ahmaud Arbery, revealed via social media that Jay-Z sent his private jet, so that he could get to the hearing for his client's killers.
Rappers are standing up for the fight against injustice in a number of ways.
XXL has reached out to a rep for Kanye West for a comment.
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