Actor Terry Crews has faced a backlash on social media after referring to "black supremacy" in a tweet, in the wake of the protests taking place in America and all over the world that are calling out systemic racism and injustices carried out against black people.
Crews tweeted, "Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth. Like it or not, we are all in this together."
Many, including Tyler James Williams - who starred with Terry Crews in Everybody Hates Chris - took issue with the actor's comments. Williams replied to Crews' initial tweet, stating:
"Terry, brother, I know your heart and you know I have love for you and always will. No one is calling 4 black supremacy & the narrative that we are hurts our cause & our people. We’re just vigorously vetting our 'allies' because time & time again they have failed us in the past."
Others also responded to Crews' initial tweet, highlighting where they disagreed with what he had said.
Following George Floyd's death, Crews posted an emotional video to Instagram.
"First of all my heart is broken," Crews said per USA Today. "George Floyd looks like me. George Floyd could be me. I could easily, easily be that man on the ground with that police officer's knee on my neck. That could easily be me."
Crews responded to many of the tweets to try and clarify his statement. Replying to a tweet sent from comedian Godfrey, the actor wrote:
"I agree. I'm not discussing white people here. there are 'gatekeepers of Blackness' within our own community who decide who's Black and who's not. I have often been called out for not being 'black enough'. How can that be?"
This news comes as unrest continues to unfold across the US and around the world, as protests - some peaceful, some violent - are calling out the systemic injustices carried out against black people, not least seen by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.
As well as a call for justice, these ongoing protests are also demanding an end to police brutality and the racism that is so deeply entrenched in America and the western world.
The message is simple: Black lives matter.
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