Kobe wore a shirt reading 'I can't breathe' following Eric Garner's death in 2014.
Vanessa Bryant is encouraging people to channel their anger into productive action.
In an emotional post on Instagram late Saturday night, Vanessa opened up about the recent protests following George Floyd's tragic death. She shared a photo of her late husband, Kobe Bryant, sporting a shirt reading, "I can't breathe," a statement Floyd uttered before his death on Monday. The 46-year-old died after a police officer held him down by the neck with his knee for more than seven minutes. That officer, Derek Chauvin, has since been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
"My husband wore this shirt years ago and yet here we are again.?#ICANTBREATHE," Vanessa wrote alongside the pic, which was taken in 2014. Kobe wore the shirt to protest the death of Eric Garner, a black man who was killed in New York after a police officer placed his arm around Garner's neck, during which he also uttered, "I can't breathe."
"Life is so fragile. Life is so unpredictable. Life is too short," Vanessa continued. "Let’s share and embrace the beautiful qualities and similarities we all share as people. Drive out hate. Teach respect and love for all at home and school. Spread LOVE. Fight for change- register to VOTE. Do not use innocent lives lost as an excuse to loot. BE AN EXAMPLE OF THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE. #BLACKLIVESMATTER ❤️."
Vanessa shared another post soon after, promoting the message of creating change in people's hearts and homes before it's able to spread across the globe.
In the wake of the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, celebs have been using their platforms to speak out about police brutality. Some, like Chrissy Teigen, Seth Rogen and Steve Carell, have donated money to help bail out protestors, while others, like Ariana Grande, Halsey and Emily Ratajkowski, have joined the protests themselves.
See more in the video below.
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