Justin Bieber has promised to voice against racial injustice after admitting throughout his career that he has benefited from the “black culture.”
“I am inspired by black culture. I have benefited off of black culture,” wrote the 26-year-old performer in a post-Saturday Instagram. “My style, how I sing, dance, perform, and my fashion have all been influenced and inspired by black culture.”
He continued, I’m committed to using my platform to learn, talk about racial injustice and systematic discrimination from this day forward, and identify ways to be part of much-needed change.
From the age of 13, Bieber was mentored by Usher and grew up listening to Stevie Wonder and Boyz II Men.
Last week, in the midst of the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, he and wife Hailey Baldwin had a long conversation with activist and CNN contributor Angela Rye — during which Bieber confessed to shame at his previous behavior.
“I’ve been feeling shame in the sense of like, ‘Why did it take these men being killed for me to almost take a blanket over my eyes?’” he revealed. “Why now? I do feel bad when it comes to that.”
Video of a 15-year-old Bieber making a racial joke in 2014, in which he used the N-word, resurfaced. He subsequently apologized.
He referenced the video in a post on Instagram last year.
Justin wrote, “When I was young I was uneducated and found myself saying really hurtful things not knowing the power of my words.”
“Racism Is still very prevalent and I want to use my voice to remind we are all human being and all of EQUAL VALUE BEFORE GOD!”