Minneapolis Gov. Tim Walz revealed Sunday that he had received an unusual phone call, though not much passes for unusual these days.
But it’s not every day a governor picks up the phone to find a world-renowned rapper on the other end.
Jay-Z, aka black father Shawn Carter, phoned up the governor to request justice for George Floyd, whose knee-to-the-neck killing a week ago at the hands of a then-Minneapolis police officer has torn apart the nation.
The call, Walz said during a media briefing, was “from Jay-Z – not international performer, but Dad,” reported WCCO-TV.
“Justice needs to be served here. Justice needs to be served,” Walz said Jay-Z told him. “It was so incredibly human. It wasn’t Jay-Z international celebrity, it was a dad and quite honestly a black man with visceral pain that he knew.”
Later on Sunday, Walz announced that state attorney general Keith Ellison would be taking over the investigation. Walz also has called for the other three officers involved to face charges as well – all four, along with Chauvin, have already been fired – and has deemed Floyd’s death to be outright murder.
After Walz’s announcement, Jay-Z posted a statement on the Twitter feed of the REFORM Alliance, a prison-reform organization he founded, according to CNN
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.“After our very earnest conversation, thank you to Governor Walz for doing what’s right and calling in Attorney General Keith Ellison to take over the George Floyd case,” Jay-Z wrote.
“Earlier today, Governor Walz mentioned having a human conversation with me – a dad and a black man in pain,” he continued. “Yes, I am human, a father and a black man in pain, and I am not the only one. Now I, along with an entire country in pain, call upon AG Ellison to do the right thing and prosecute all those responsible for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent of the law.”
He called it “just a first step” and declared himself “more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have.”
Further, he said, every politician, prosecutor and officer in the U.S. must step up.
“I prevail on every politician, prosecutor and officer in the country to have the courage to do what is right,” Jay-Z wrote. “Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain, and look at yourselves.”
He signed it “Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter.”