Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively pledge $200,000 to NAACP amid George Floyd protests

Hollywood couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have donated USD 200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. NAACP is a leading US legal firm fighting for racial justice, following the death of George Floyd, the African-American man who was killed in police custody in Minneapolis last week. The actor couple took to their respective Instagram accounts to post a joint statement addressing the ongoing protests against racism in the US, and also shared about their contribution to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

"We've never had to worry about preparing our kids for different rules of law or what might happen if we're pulled over in the car. We don't know what it's like to experience that life day in and day out. We can't imagine feeling that kind of fear and anger. "We're ashamed that in the past we've allowed ourselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is," the couple, who have three daughters together, said in the statement. Reynolds and Lively said they want to educate themselves and their kids about other people's experiences and also open up about the mistakes they have committed during their lifetime. "We are committed to raising our kids so they never grow up feeding this insane pattern and so they'll do their best to never inflict pain on another being consciously or unconsciously. "It's the least we can do to honor not just George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Eric Garner, but all the black men and women who have been killed when a camera wasn't rolling," the statement further read. The couple said they want to use their privilege and platform to be an "ally".

"Last week we contributed $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. We stand in awe of this organization and its leader, Sherrilyn Ifill. And this is just a start. We also pledge to stay educated and vote in every local election. "We want to know the positions of school board nominees, sheriffs, mayors, councilpersons. We want to know their positions on justice. But mainly, we want to use our privilege and platform to be an ally. And to play a part in easing pain for so many who feel as though this grand experiment is failing them." Floyd, 46, died last Monday in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes. The officer was arrested on Friday and charged with third-degree murder.

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