K-Pop fans are uniting in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and have launched their own campaign, dubbed “One In An Army,” to match BTS’ donation.
Last week, the K-pop powerhouse revealed that they donated $1 million toward the BLM movement, following the murder of George Floyd – an unarmed black man – who was held down by his neck from a white police officer last month. Since Floyd’s death, protests have erupted across the world and the music industry even participated in #TheShowMustBePaused campaign, a part of Blackout Tuesday.
“We stand against racial discrimination,” BTS said in a statement following their donation. “We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter.”
Their music label Big Hit Entertainment confirmed those numbers to CNN. The managing director for BLM, Kailee Scales, told Variety that the organization is “moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives.”
Following BTS’s donation, the group’s fan base – ARMY – started the #MatchAMillion movement, and within 24 hours, the fan group exceeded $817,000 for BLM. After Sunday evening, the ARMY fundraiser reached their $1 million goal.
In a statement on the official Once In An Army Twitter account, the campaign said funds would go toward “bailouts for those arrested for protesting,” “black-led advocacy organizations fighting against systemic injustice,” and “support for the physical and mental health of the black community.”
BTS is the latest act to speak out about the ongoing movement. Last week, Jay-Z and his philanthropic company Roc Nation took out full-page newspaper ads across the U.S. to honor Floyd, while hip-hop powerhouse The Weeknd donated $200,000 to the movement. Halsey and Yungblud have also been seen at protests – helping and fighting for justice among civilians.
