Justin Timberlake is taking a stance and calling for Confederate statues to be removed, which he noted that more than half of them are in the South.
The 39-year-old singer, a Tennessee native, took to Instagram on Monday to push for action amid protests across America.
โA lot of you know Iโm from Tennesseeโฆa state that happens to be the home of many many confederate monuments. Iโve been listening closely to the ongoing debates about what to do with these statues โ and I really want to take a minute to talk about this. When we protest racism in America, people think we are protesting America itself. Why is that the reaction? Because America was built by men who believed in and benefitted from racism. Plain and simple,โ Timberlakeโs caption began.

โThis is when you hear โBut thatโs all in the pastโ. So letโs be clearโฆ those men who proudly owned and abused Black people are STILL celebrated all over the country,โ the โMirrorsโ singer continued.
READ MORE: Check Out the Latest Justin Timberlake News
โThere are roughly 1,848 confederate statues of in the US,โ he continued. โMore than half are in The South, and itโs not acceptable. No one should be protecting the legacies of confederate leaders and slave owners. If we plan to move forward, these monuments must come down.โ

Timberlake says โremoving them is a symbol of respect for Black people in Americaโ and โa step towards progress and actual equality for all.โ
Timberlake accompanied his message with a video that he said highlights โthe history of the monuments in your own states and countiesโ from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Timberlake is one of many celebrities weighing on the controversial Confederate symbol, which has been slammed by critics as racist and hailed by supporters as a part of their heritage. The ongoing debate was renewed by the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 while in police custody.
Read Justin Timberlakeโs full post below
A lot of you know Iโm from Tennessee
โฆa state that happens to be the home of many many confederate monuments. Iโve been listening closely to the ongoing debates about what to do with these statues โ and I really want to take a minute to talk about this. โ
When we protest racism in America, people think we are protesting America itself. Why is that the reaction? Because America was built by men who believed in and benefitted from racism. Plain and simple. โ
This is when you hear โBut thatโs all in the pastโ. So letโs be clearโฆ those men who proudly owned and abused Black people are STILL celebrated all over the country. โ
There are roughly 1,848 confederate statues of in the US. More than half are in The South, and itโs not acceptable. No one should be protecting the legacies of confederate leaders and slave owners.
If we plan to move forward, these monuments must come down. But letโs remember: Removing these statues does not erase our countryโs vile history of oppression โ removing them is a symbol of respect for Black people in America and itโs a step towards progress and actual equality for all.
This video is by @aclu_nationwide, which has been fighting hard to remove these statues across the country. Their Legal Director #JeffreyRobinson has been speaking on this issue for years (you can find more in the link in my bio). Please follow them and learn more about the history of the monuments in your own states and counties.
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