Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY
Published 1:29 p.m. ET June 15, 2020 | Updated 2:13 p.m. ET June 15, 2020
CLOSE
Ariana Grande, Jamie Foxx, Nick Cannon and other entertainers have joined protests across the country over the death of George Floyd.
USA TODAY
Tyler Perry is paying for the funeral of Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a white Atlanta police officer outside a Wendy’s restaurant late Friday.
Brooks’ family attorney Chris Stewart made the announcement at a press conference in Atlanta on Monday. The same day, hundreds of protesters demanded an end to systemic racism during a “March on Georgia.”
Perry has not made a statement about the funeral on social media, but did post a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. earlier Monday.
“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear,” the quote reads.
Brooks was shot after police responded to a call about him being asleep in his car in the drive-thru lane at a fast food restaurant. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide Sunday night, caused by two shots to the back.
Family members of Brooks also spoke at the press conference Monday, including his niece, who described him as a girl dad, loving husband, caring brother and dependable uncle. She also said the entire situation has traumatized their family.
Brooks’ niece is speaking. She says #RayshardBrooks was a girl dad, loving husband, caring brother, dependable uncle. She said he had a big heart, bright smile and loved to dance. pic.twitter.com/zF5FiwKm6w
— Nicquel Terry Ellis (@NTerryEllis) June 15, 2020
Perry is one of many celebrities who has been vocal about racism and police brutality. Stars are calling for unity and change following Brooks’ death and the loss of other Black lives at the hands of police, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
Rapper T.I. attended protests in Atlanta over the weekend, where he called for unity to bring about change.
“I know we do a lot of talking about what separates us,” he said, according to video obtained by Atlanta NBC affiliate station WXIA-TV. “I know we do a lot of talking about how far we have to go, but let’s talk about what we’ve done in such a short period of time: We have forced them to acknowledge the pain that has existed for years and years. We have forced them to take into account and consider what we’ve gone through ever since they brought us to this country. We have forced them to now be considerate of our lives, our liberties and we can’t let up off the gas.”
Kim Kardashian West shared Sunday a link to a petition calling for “Justice for the Murder of Rayshard Brooks,” urging her followers to sign and spread awareness.
“They shot Rayshard Brooks in the back as he ran away,” Chance the Rapper tweeted Sunday, adding the hashtag “#JudgeJuryExecutioner.”
Contributing: Nicquel Terry Ellis, Conor Hughes, John Bacon and Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY
More: Beyonce seeks ‘swift and decisive action,’ urges arrest of police involved in Breonna Taylor’s death
More: 100 ways you can take action against racism right now
Autoplay
Show Thumbnails
Show Captions
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/06/15/tyler-perry-pay-rayshard-brooks-funeral/3191720001/
