Megan Thee Stallion donates $50,000 after Atlanta spa shootings: 'Enough is enough'
Megan Thee Stallion is joining a growing group of of stars speaking out and offering financial support amid a rise in attacks on Asian Americans.
The Grammy-winning artist, 26, announced she, in partnership with retailer Fashion Nova and journalist/activist May Lee, made a $50,000 donation to the Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice. The organization "work(s) tirelessly to protect the civil and human rights of Asian Americans in Georgia and the Southeast," she said.
Seven women and one man, most of them of Asian descent, were killed March 16 in three shootings near Atlanta-area spas. Police arrested suspected gunman Robert Aaron Long, 21, who frequented the spas. The eight victims who were killed were Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan and Daoyou Feng.
"I am heartbroken by the loss of eight individuals taken from their families on March 16 in a senseless, violent attack against Asian Americans," wrote the rapper, whose real name is Megan Pete, Saturday in an Instagram post.
"We stand in solidarity with all Asian Americans in saying that enough is enough. #StopAsianHate #StandWithAANHPICommunity"
Megan The Stallion and Fashion Nova also donated $100,000 earlier this month to the Breonna Taylor Foundation on the one-year anniversary of her death. The organization, founded by Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, seeks to "support economic, social, and racial justice through police reform and government accountability" and support young people to participate in politics.
"A year ago today Breonna Taylor was tragically taken from her family and friends," Megan The Stallion wrote on Instagram March 13. "Breonna’s name continues to be a catalyst for change and a powerful reminder that justice has still not been served."
Last week, comedian Ken Jeong took action following the Atlanta-area spa shootings by donating a total of $50,000 to the families of some of the victims.
Jeong appeared on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on March 22 and spoke out against racism and pushed back against claims denying that the shootings were racially motivated. Long told authorities his actions were motivated by sex addiction and not by race.
"There's debate whether this crime was racially motivated, Asian American women are two times as likely to be assaulted in America," Jeong said. "This was clearly racially motivated. This was clearly a hate crime."
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Jeong contributed $10,000 each to five of the Atlanta shooting victims' families though GoFundMe pages.
Jeong told Meyers solving the issue of racism is more complex.
"It takes listening, learning, loving, being tolerant but it really starts off in our particular case as Asian Americans, this 'kung-flu' (expletive) has to stop and we really need to express that loudly and we are," he said.
Other celebrities including Sandra Oh, Chrissy Teigen and Trevor Noah have joined Jeong in speaking out and calling for allies to stand up and for leadership to take action.
"Enough is enough, we're just fed up," Jeong said.
Contributing: Elise Brisco
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Megan Thee Stallion makes $50,000 donation after Atlanta spa shootings