‘American Idol’ Winner Just Sam Explains Standing With Police And Re Lives Her ‘Worst Run-ins’ With The Cops
ABC/Instagram Fresh off of her American Idol win, Just Sam has not had a very conventional reign as the newest champion. Between coronavirus causing the show to be remote and the George Floyd protests sweeping the nation, it’s safe to say that a lot has been going on. But through all of this, she posted a heartfelt post about her history with cops and how they have really impacted her life from a young age.
Just Sam’s Instagram Post About Cops Received Praise From Her Fans
In the photo that Sam posted, she is pictured standing next to cops with a sign that says they are part of the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau Crime Prevention Section. This particular sector focuses on building ties with the community and helping citizens ease their concerns within these communities. Youth officers and community affairs officers are assigned to police precincts to help keep police connected to these communities whether it be LGBTQ related outreach or crime prevention. Sam got to be a part of this program even after having run-ins with police in the past. In her Instagram caption, she said “I told myself that I would be looking out for the outside while on the inside.”
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It wasn’t always easy for her to trust cops especially growing up in the projects in New York City. In her Instagram post, she said: “I had already had an experience where a cop tried to arrest me at 13/14 years old for no reason and told me that he would spit in my face while stepping on my head to hold me down.” At the time, the police did not care that she was scared and crying out for her grandmother. But by joining this outreach program, she saw that there were actually cops out there that try to help people like her, and she appreciates them even to this day. Fans flew to her comments and called this post “refreshing” and thanked her for being so honest and open.
She Joined The NYC Protests For George Floyd
During the remote American Idol shows, Sam remained in California due to the coronavirus pandemic and not wanting to pose a risk to her grandmother getting sick. She has since returned to NYC and joined the peaceful protests for Floyd who died at the hands of white officer Derek Chauvin. She posted a video marching down the city streets with a group of friends and said “It’s so good to be back in New York City with my family.” She continued on saying “It’s my right to peacefully protest.”
The singer who has not been on Twitter since winning the show tweeted about attending the protests. She said that the NYPD marched alongside the protesters from uptown to downtown. She emphasized that the protests were peaceful and no violence ensued.
She said “Don’t believe everything that’s being said on social media and t.v.!” referring to the videos of officers usinig violence against protesters causing the city to impose a strict curfew.
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Sam has also made several Instagram posts in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and changed her profile picture to a black screen that says “I can’t breathe,” Floyd’s last words.
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