Back in 2016, a number of high profile musicians including Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Pink and U2’s Bono released “23 Ways You Could Be Killed If You Are Black in America,” detailing systemic racism in the United States. Keys, alongside several more musicians such as Mary J. Blige, A$AP Ferg, Offset, Rapsody, Ty Dolla $ign, Vic Mensa, 070 Shake, Khalid, Asian Doll and Summer Walker have now released a follow-up video called “17 Ways Black People Are Killed in America,” which urges Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to launch a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) during the administration’s first 100 days.
Last year saw a number of incidents reignite the Black Lives Matter movement across the United States, While a vast number of these demonstrations urged for criminal justice reforms, other incidents such as COVID-19 affecting a disproportionate number of Black Americans have also been in the movement’s spotlight.
“17 Ways Black People Are Killed in America” referenced the deaths of Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who all passed away since the release of the 2016 video. Although Biden ran on a platform of criminal justice reform, Keys stressed the necessity of keeping his administration accountable.