Questlove. Image by Shayan Asgharnia
Instagram and Twitter blew up earlier this summer when a video of the shooting and killing of 35-year-old Philando Castile went viral. This marked the second vigil that activist group “Black Lives Matter” had to organise that week, with the shooting of Alton Sterling taking place only one day before. As many Americans continue to exhibit unwavering support of the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, some of the nation’s biggest celebrities are using their influence to actively speak out in opposition.
Devonté Hynes and Zoë Kravitz. Image by Shayan Asgharnia
Multi-instrumentalist member of “The Roots”, Questlove, was vocal on social media about the situation, hash-tagging the victims’ names along with “#DoYouFearThatYourNameWillBeTheNewHashtagWeLearnOfToday?” and “#IDontWantToHashTagAnotherName”. Since then, Questlove has been involved in a collaborative campaign entitled “Everytown for Gun Safety“.
The partnership has resulted in a photo campaign by Shayan Asgharnia, in which young black artists use their stature to raise awareness about the issue. Photographed in black and white, each activist holds an orange placard which reads “WE CAN END GUN VIOLENCE”. Faces of the movement include Willow Smith, Dev Hynes and a string of other notables. Accompanying the imagery is a statement from Questlove’s website Okayplayer, pleading with America to put “a name to the numbers” and realise that this violence stretches across all of America, affecting small towns and big cities alike.
Willow Smith and Anderson Peek. Image by Shayan Asgharnia
A closer look at entire campaign as well as Questlove’s statement can be viewed here