Michael B. Jordan has responded to the the fatal shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile with a powerful Instagram post, writing that he ― or any black person ― could have easily been in their position.
The actor has used his platform in the past to call attention to issues of race and social justice. In the 2013 biographical drama “Fruitvale Station,” he played Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed by police in Oakland, California, in 2009.
His post conveyed an acute awareness that the pattern of black deaths hasn’t changed much since those years.
“The fact is Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were not unfortunate accidents,” he wrote underneath an empty black square. “These are just a few of the countless incidents of the violent neglect, poor training, and lack of accountability that clearly illustrate one thing: Black people are being [disproportionately] dehumanized and murdered, this must stop!”
In his post, Jordan described how the string of police violence resonates with him personally.
“This hits close to home,” he wrote. “It could have easily been myself, my little brother, my dad, one of my friends, or any of us. When one of us is murdered because a police officer is ‘afraid for their life,’ it pains us- we feel it. In the wake of these senseless murders, our homes are forever broken...”
Following the attack on the Dallas police force late Thursday night, he also made sure to emphasize that “violence is not the answer,” explaining that he cares about “the safety of my black brothers and sisters and my blue ones too”
“This is the time to unify; our communities, our churches and our homes,” Jordan continued. “My mission is to channel my anger and energy - along with my love and hope for the future into actively finding solutions. Change will take all of us, we can no longer say or do...Nothing.”
Read his full Instagram post below:
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