K-pop fans have been showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement after music group BTS made a generous donation to the cause. The group’s fans have matched their donation.
The K-pop community on Twitter has also been flooding racist hashtags with anti-racist or irrelevant content, pushing hateful messages down so they can’t be seen. Read on to find out more.
우리는 인종차별에 반대합니다. 우리는 폭력에 반대합니다. 나, 당신, 우리 모두는 존중받을 권리가 있습니다. 함께 하겠습니다.
We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together.#BlackLivesMatter
Last week, BTS put out a tweet saying they “stand against racial discrimination” and “condemn violence,” adding the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. BTS also donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter organization.
“Black people all over the world are in pain at this moment from the trauma of centuries of oppression,” said Kailee Scales, managing director of BLM. “We are moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives.”
In response to this donation, a fan group called “One In An ARMY” began raising money from fans. K-pop fans used the hashtag #MatchAMillion, with the goal of matching the donation from BTS. According to CNN, the movement raised over $800,000 in less than 24 hours. Even John Cena, who’s a BTS fan, joined in on the donations.
On Sunday, the group reached their $1 million goal. The money will reportedly go toward bailouts for arrested protesters, “black-led advocacy organizations fighting against systemic injustice,” and “support for the physical and mental health of the black community.”
The K-pop community has also used their social media power to drown out racist messages on Twitter. The hashtag #WhiteLivesMatter was recently trending, but it mostly contained fancams and anti-racist tweets.
Fans also took over related hashtags, like #BlueLivesMatter, #MAGA, and #WhiteOutWednesday. The K-pop fandom is known for being skilled at making things trend on social media, including the common #isoverparty trend. This time, they used their internet savvy for an important cause.
BTS Label Bit Hit Is Launching A Talent Show
There’s some other big news for fans of BTS. The group’s label, Big Hit Entertainment, is launching a new talent show called I-Land. According to NME, the show’s goal is to find the next big K-pop star.
The show will be hosted by Min Nam-Goong and premiere on June 26 on South Korean music channel Mnet. Singer Rain and rapper Zico will be mentors on the series. Auditions reportedly started in March 2019, and will also include performers from the U.S. and other countries.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
