On a social media platform jammed with shameless self-promotion, flagrant self-aggrandizing and rampant…well… randomness, we find Usher Raymond’s Instagram account, which is a tad different, in a good way. Recently he added a few updates about “Chains,” his new single on police brutality featuring Nas and Bibi Bourelly, and the video garnered a lot of response. Although the song breaks from the crooner’s usual sultry subject matter, his tendency to speak out about social injustice is not new. Usher’s Insta-gallery provides some indication that he’s actually been touting the need to address these issues for quite some time, with many photos highlighting how he feels about recent events that have affected people of color. Recently, the R&B veteran’s pictures showcase the fact that his art hasn’t disconnected him from the struggles of black America, and here are six times those connections have been apparent in his apparel.
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Usher acknowledged Juneteenth during his performance at the Essence Festival last year. His comment read, “If you’re gonna celebrate, know what you’re celebrating. We must know who we are in order be our best selves.”
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He also wore this controversial custom-made jacket in front of the thousands of fans there.
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The singer offered a solemn ode to Eric Garner onstage during his UR Experience Tour.
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He’s shown here rocking another awesome jacket with a simple, yet empowering statement.
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This shot from a few weeks back reminds us that we need to pay equal attention to women of color who’ve lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement.
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No jacket or shirt of his own? No worries. Usher still found a way to get his social justice message across by featuring someone else’s protest tee on his account.
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