In the wake of the recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, a group of celebrities including Rihanna, Beyoncé and Alicia Keys have come together to release a video that draws much needed attention to the terrifyingly mundane “reasons” black people can be killed by police.
The video, “23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Are Black In America,” is heartbreakingly simple. It features a number of recognizable influencers speaking to the camera, listing the ordinary things that have gotten black people killed by police. The celebrity faces alternate with photographs of the victims.
The video is intended to promote Alicia Keys’ We Are Here Movement, and at the end of the video, the singer requests that we promote the video and the movement by using the #23Ways hashtag on social media.
She also suggests we do more than only raise awareness and take the movement to Congress by signing a petition that calls for justice. Ultimately, she hopes to “demand radical transformation to heal the long history of systemic racism so that all Americans have the equal right to live and to pursue happiness.”