Janet Jackson Opens Show With Video Denouncing White Supremacy And Domestic Terrorism
Her State of the World tour has an important message.
Janet Jackson's State of the World tour stopped in Lafayette, Louisiana last night. Moments before the pop legend took the stage, a video condemning white supremacy, domestic terrorism, and fascism was screened. An excerpt of the opening video, recorded live by a fan, is streaming above.
The one-minute video introduction starts by naming unarmed black men who were killed by police officers: Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Jonathan Ferrell. Then, we hear audio clips of television personalities and protestors explaining the threats of white supremacy, privilege, and inequality.
The message is a vital one: The Center for Investigative reporting has shared an analysis of domestic terrorism in the United States spanning nine years, and found that right-wing extremists were responsible for twice as many violent attacks compared to Islamic extremists.
It's a threat President Donald Trump has only acknowledged once, after he faced significant criticism for equivocating anti-racist protestors and white supremacists during a Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia (one protestor, Heather Heyer, was run over by James Alex Fields Jr. a white nationalist and Trump supporter).
Thumbnail photo by Christopher Polk for Getty Images