ABC/Image Group LAIn a recent interview on the Today show, Jimmie Allen shares how watching the video of George Floyd‘s murder impacted him as both a person and father to his six-year-old son.
“Things hit you harder when someone looks like you,” Jimmie says. “I pictured my son, I pictured me. So I was upset.”
Jimmie turned to social media in the following days to express the sorrow and grief he felt watching the video, while also spreading a message of love.
“The one thing I’ve learned is hateful words don’t welcome a listening ear, so I wanted to say something that would address the situation and how I felt, but also let people know sometimes to lead with love,” he expresses.
The “Best Shot” singer also shares that growing up in the small town of Milton, Delaware was like living in a “bubble,” surrounded by a multi-racial group of friends and supportive community that included police officers who served as mentors to young men who didn’t have father figures in their lives.
“Even in the midst of that greatness, my mom always reminded me ‘hey son, there’s a lot of people in this world that are loving, but there might be some time in your life where someone might look at you different or treat you differently because of the color of your skin,'” he recalls.
In spite of the adversity he’s faced in life, Jimmie takes it upon himself to lead with love and encourages others to do the same.
“My job is to be persistent, patient and have compassion because that’s the only thing you can ever do, so hopefully one day we can see each other as equals,” he reflects. “There is more love out there than there is hate.”
By Cillea Houghton
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