Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty
At the fresh ages of 22, rapper
YBN Cordae and tennis star
Naomi Osaka haven’t been shy about their relationship along with speaking out on issues that matter to them. In light of recent police killings, the two have especially been vocal about systematic racism.
On Tuesday, Cordae was
one of many protesters who were arrested and charged with felonies for demanding charges be brought against the cops who killed
Breonna Taylor.
Taylor was shot and killed on March 13 when officers entered her home in search of illegal drugs. The officers claimed that they knocked on the door to announce themselves and they started shooting after they were “immediately met by gunfire” from Taylor’s boyfriend,
Kenneth Walker. However, Taylor’s family said in
a lawsuit that the cops did not identify themselves, and that Walker — a licensed gun owner — believed someone was trying to break in. Taylor was only 26 years old when she died.
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Cordae, along with people like
Porsha Williams of
Real Housewives of Atlanta and
Yandy Smith of
Love & Hip Hop, demanded that the cops involved be arrested and charged for Taylor’s death. So far, only
Brett Hankison was fired on June 23 while the other officers involved were placed on administrative leave. None of them have been arrested or charged yet.
All 87 protesters who were arrested were eventually released on Wednesday. Osaka supported the cause online, by retweeting footage of the protest and writing, “They’re really arresting people for protesting, that’s crazy.”
Osaka and Cordae, who have been dating since late last year, traveled to Minneapolis a couple of days after
George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police.
“We visited the George Floyd Memorial and connected with those who came together to mourn yet another senseless act and life lost without reason,” Osaka explained in an op-ed for Esquire. “Being on the ground in Minneapolis was what felt right at that moment. When I came back to Los Angeles, I signed petitions, I protested, and I donated, like many of us. But I kept asking myself what can I do to make this world a better place for my children? I decided it was time to speak up about systemic racism and police brutality.”
Osaka and Cordae continue to showcase their Black love, joy and resistance on social media. Check out some notable moments below.
