'The Bachelorette's Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo Protest in Miami After Death of George Floyd
By Lillian Marx
Protests continue around the country following the death of George Floyd. Over the weekend, The Bachelorette's Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo joined demonstrations taking place in Miami, Florida. Rachel explained the powerful rationale for their participation.
The Season 13 Bachelorette used her Instagram Story to share a photo of herself after a day of demonstrating with Bryan, who she met on the ABC show and married. She captioned the image with a call to action. “Today we protested. Today we went beyond our platform. Today we put action behind our words. Today we used our voices to make a difference." the 35-year-old lawyer wrote. "Today is just one day in the fight. We have to keep pushing forward and demanding change.”
Rachel also took to Twitter to post about the unfolding situation on Friday. She commented on the arrest of a black CNN reporter, Omar Jimenez, on live television by Minneapolis police; on President Trump’s reaction to the protests; and on the third-degree murder charge brought against the white officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck while the victim repeated that he could not breathe.
Bryan, meanwhile, posted art depicting Floyd, and captioned the images with a quote from Vice President Joe Biden, who on Friday gave an address in response to the killing: “With silence, we are complicit with perpetuating these cycles of violence.”
Rachel and Bryan aren’t the only celebrities who’ve taken to the streets to demand justice for Floyd. Jamie Foxx spoke at a Minneapolis press conference on Friday, and E! News reports that Nick Cannon, Tinashe, Halsey, J. Cole, Michael B. Jordan, Ariana Grande, and Kehlani are among those who have attended protests around the nation.
In the past, Rachel has been outspoken when it comes to issues of racism, sexism, and online bullying surrounding the Bachelor franchise. She's criticized producers for failing to protect her against racist, misogynist attacks, and for portraying her as an “angry black female.” On the Bachelor Season 24 Women Tell All special, Rachel spoke out against the online harassment faced by the show’s women of color.
While some of Rachel’s posts over the weekend faced just that sort of hateful backlash, many fans responded with words of support and expressions of anguish over George Floyd’s tragic death.