Following George Floyd’s tragic death earlier this week, Drake posted a touching tribute to social media.
On Friday (May 29), the Toronto rapper shared a photo of Assata Shaukur’s poem titled “Affirmation.” The poem reads, “I believe in living. I believe in the spectrum of Beta days and Gamma people. I believe in sunshine. In windmills and waterfalls, tricycles and rocking chairs.” For his caption, Drake wrote, “Rest in heaven George Floyd.”
Like Drake, other celebrities have taken their thoughts to social media following Floyd’s passing this week. Rihanna also shared a similar sentiment about the effects of police brutality and demanded for justice.
“For the last few days, the magnitude of devastation, anger, sadness I’ve felt has been overwhelming to say the least! Watching my people get murdered and lynched day after day pushed me to a heavy place in my heart! To the point of staying away from socials, just to avoid hearing the blood curdling agony in George Floyd’s voice again, begging over and over for his life! The look of enticement, the pure joy and climax on the face of this bigot, murderer, thug, pig, bum, Derek Chauvin, haunts me!” she wrote.
On Monday, a viral video captured Floyd’s last moments as ex-officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the former’s neck. After a preliminary autopsy found “no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation,” Floyd’s family revealed that they will conduct a separate examination.
“We’re going to take custody back of George Floyd’s body and we’re bringing in Dr. Michael Baden to perform an independent autopsy because we saw in the Eric Garner case and so many other cases where they have these people who work with the city come up with things that are such an illusion,” Floyd’s family attorney Ben Crump said during a press conference. “They’re going to have their own autopsy. We’re not going to rely on this DA or this city to tell us the truth. We already saw the truth.”