Influencer Responds to Backlash After Posting Blackface to 'Support Black Lives Matter' | 22 Words

A makeup influencer decided to wear blackface to support the #BlackLivesMatter and the internet was not happy.

Keep scrolling to see how they responded to the backlash and why it is so important to not encourage blackface...

This beauty influencer caused complete outrage recently when they posted a photo wearing blackface to support the #BlackLivesMatter campaign...

via: Facebook

 And now, after a lot of backlash, they have issued a public apology for their careless actions. But firstly, let's start from the beginning of where this stemmed from...

It all happened on the 25th of May...

via: Getty

 Passers-by in Minneapolis witnessed and filmed police officers arresting George Floyd for a suspected forgery incident.

Police found George matching a suspect's description in his car.

via: Twitter

 Even though he didn't resist arrest, one of the officers got him on the ground and pinned him there by pressing their knee into his neck.

This position was clearly very painful for him...

via: Twitter

 "Please, please, I can't breathe," George can be heard begging in harrowing footage as the officers remain standing. "My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts," he moans as passers-by begin to gather and repeatedly tell the officer to stop leaning on him.

Multiple witnesses are arguing with the officers when he starts to lose consciousness...

via: Twitter

 "He's not f****** moving!" one witness shouts as another says, "Get the f*** off him, he isn't moving!" One of the officers responds with, "This is why you don't do drugs, kids."

After around 4 minutes of the officer kneeling on him, George is completely unresponsive.

via: Twitter

 An ambulance arrives, the paramedics check his pulse and move his body onto a stretcher - he was later pronounced dead in the hospital.

George was only forty-six years old...

And he did not deserve to die.

The police officers involved have shown absolutely no emotion, regret, or urgency...

via: Twitter

 And a huge amount of backlash has hit the headlines.

Four of the officers involved have now been fired.

via: Twitter

 And the officer who kneeled on George, whose name is Derek Chauvin, has been arrested and charged with 3rd-degree murder.

But this hasn't stopped the haunting footage of George's death circulating online...

And it has left millions of people both heartbroken and disgusted. So many are feeling completely hopeless due to the fact that this blatant racism is happening more and more in our country.

When will this violence stop?

via: Getty Images

 And when will our country do something to put an end to police brutality against black people?

Protests have been held in George's memory all around the country...

via: Getty Images

 Including in Washington, Chicago, New York City, and even in the United Kingdom.

But it's safe to say that the protests have been mostly in Minneapolis...

Which is where George was killed.

The protests started on Wednesday last week...

via: Getty Images

 Thousands upon thousands of protesters took to the streets on Wednesday to express their hurt and their anger at the injustice.

But things very quickly turned violent.

via: Getty Images

 As thousands of people took to the streets, the police force became involved when shops started getting looted and police cars were being attacked.

Police officers in riot gear pelted the crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets...

And when protestors began fighting back, things turned very ugly and the mass brawl continued into the night.

The scenes have been truly apocalyptical...

Even though the protest was to demand justice for George, so many people were left fearful for their own lives in the chaotic streets of Minneapolis.

Nearly a week on, things haven't calmed down...

And the police have been behaving in a manner more brutal and extreme than ever before to get protestors off the streets - which only pours more fuel on the flames.

The #BlackLivesMatter movement is now trending more than ever before...

And more and more people are trying to educate others and raise awareness on the rights of black people.

But one influencer recently took things a million steps too far.

via: Facebook

 This is Ken Francisco de Dios, and they are a beauty influencer who specializes in makeup from Chile.

They posted a series of selfies recently as a response to George's death...

via: Twitter

 Shared on Facebook, the post was captioned "Black lives matter," and showed Ken sporting full blackface. But Ken’s followers were appalled at the highly offensive post, urging them to educate themself on blackface.

People found it very offensive...

And many felt it was Ken's way of turning the attention onto themselves rather than the important matter of black rights.

Ken was compared to the people who are using #AllLivesMatter...

And they have been branded as selfish and uneducated.

"Their skin color is not your costume."

Makeup should not be inspired by race.

It seems that the influencer caught wind of these angry comments...

via: Facebook

 And Ken decided to issue an apology on their Facebook page this week.

They didn't mean to imitate any other culture or race...

via: Facebook

 "Before everything gets out of hand I would like to apologize for the whole 'blackface' issue. It wasn’t of my intention to imitate anyone of any culture or race," they wrote. "As an artist, I used my artistry to be part of the campaign and use it as a voice that black lives matter. I believe that this is a sensitive topic and that I should’ve kept my mouth shut."

They are still educating themselves...

via: Facebook

 "I will try to learn more about such matters to keep myself from making 'careless mistakes' in the future. Cultural appropriation is an issue that is deeply rooted in a society that I am still educating myself on."

Ken thanked the followers who pointed out their wrongdoing.

via: Facebook

 "I’ve read your comments and tweets and I honestly do understand where this backlash has come from. I am thankful for those who are educating me in the comments section."

This is most definitely a lesson well learned for Ken...

And hopefully, they have learned to take the #BlackLivesMatters seriously from now on.