Stars protest racism at Charlottesville ‘unity’ concert

Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams led the stars protesting racism at a charity concert in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sunday (24Sep17).
Justin, Pharrell, and Ariana Grande all performed at A Concert for Charlottesville: An Evening of Musical Unity gig at the University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium.
Last month (Aug17) the city was the scene of a white supremacist rally that turned violent, leaving one anti-racism protester dead, and the concert was organised by members of Charlottesville’s Dave Matthews Band to bring the community together and raise funds for those affected by the violence.
According to America’s CNN network, Justin opened his set with civil rights anthem A Change Is Gonna Come, and told the crowd, “Give yourselves a round of applause for making history. This is what unity does.”
Tickets for the concert were free, but gig goers were encouraged to make donations to a fund benefiting victims and their families, first responders, and organisations devoted to the promotion of “unity and justice”.
During his own set Pharrell “took a knee”, mimicking the actions of American football star Colin Kaepernick, who knelt during the U.S. national anthem last year (16) to protest racial injustice.
“If I want to get on my knees right now for the people of my city, for the people of my state, that’s what this flag is for,” the Happy singer said.
More than 100 players made the gesture before games in America’s National Football League (NFL) over the weekend after U.S. President Donald Trump called for them to be fired for doing so.
The President was also heavily criticised for initially failing to condemn the white supremacist protesters who marched on Charlottesville.
Other acts who performed at the unity gig included Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard.