Britney Spears' recent Black Lives Matter Instagram post sparked a debate among her fans

Britney Spears is known for her attention-getting Instagram posts which consist largely of videos of herself dancing around her home in various crop-tops. Every once in a while, the pop star will post something inspirational (along the vein of one of those placards you might see in a yoga studio). Yesterday, however, Britney’s missives took a more political turn when she posted about the Black Lives Matter movement

Spears shared a photo of a Black man holding a #BLM sign that has divided her fans and attracted criticism from different viewpoints in the larger discussion of systemic racial inequality and its complexities.

Britney, who has nearly 30 million followers on the social media platform, shared the image below along with the capiton “Just sayin’ !!!! #BlackLivesMatter #BLM”

Her expression of support for the movement was met with cheers from some corners as fans commented with messages like “I didn’t think I could love you more!!! Thank you for this. Britney for President!!”

Other followers derided “woke Britney” challenging her backing of the signage, “White people have generational wealth. Black people have generational trauma.”

Demonstrating a lack of understanding about how racism operates on a systemic, institutionalized level, some of Britney’s white fans made comments like, “Still waiting to inherit all this magical generational wealth. If I don't go to work, I don't eat.”

Of course, white privilege doesn’t mean not having to work for grocery money. Often, however, it means that work is more available, more protected by legislation, and more highly paid. It also means those groceries are more accessible at a reasonable price and offer more variety— not necessarily on an individual level, but by a large average margin.

Britney's post also comes amid jury deliberations in the murder trial of disgraced former police officer Derek Chauvin for the senseless killing of George Floyd last May. While Spears didn’t mention Floyd directly, the timing puts it against the backdrop of the trial seeking justice for yet another Black person killed by police and a world awaiting a verdict. (Chauvin was found guilty of all three charges at the time of press.)

Another important note is how much attention a white star like Britney Spears gets for posting about Black Lives Matter, especially when Black celebrities don't get the same level of media attention for speaking on their own experience and those of their own community.

Last summer, some stars got the right idea by lending their social platforms to Black activists. In June 2020, activist Zyahna Bryant took over Shawn Mendes' Instagram, Black Lives Matter co-creator Alicia Garza took over Selena Gomez's socials, Black maternal health advocate Latham Thomas took over for Gwyneth Paltrow and more participants in #ShareTheMicNow centered anti-racism work on the voices of those with firsthand knowledge of racism and the work crucial for dismantling systemic oppression.

Now, that’s something we’d like to see regularly trending on social media.

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