As protests across the U.S. and the world demand an end to racial injustice, gospel and R&B legend Bebe Winans shared a timely new single with a fitting declaration: "Black Lives Matter."
Winans began writing the song after the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody in Baltimore. Winans felt more inclined to finish the song after the continued deaths of Black people in America at the hands of police.
MORE: Hollywood is addressing its racist past -- but there's still more work to be done"After witnessing the horrific tragedies of Freddie Gray, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and so many other countless lives being cut short, I started to think about the ways I could lend my voice to this movement," Winans said in a statement. "Music has always been a way to bring positivity, hope, and people together, so I wanted to create a song that could help bring a sense of peace to this world for our children, including my own. Black. Lives. Matter."
To coincide with the single's release, the six-time Grammy winner also released a touching video showing scenes from protests in Minneapolis, New York, Paris and others spots around the world.
The song speaks to Winans' family history of inspirational songs. He was one of the first Christian artists to cross over to the mainstream following his sister, CeCe Winans.
MORE: Quaranstream: Free events and services to watch online while self-quarantiningAdditionally, all proceeds from "Black Lives Matter" will be donated to the Black Lives Matter organization and Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative.
After spending some time behind the scenes and serving as the executive music producer for OWN's "Greenleaf," Winans is returning to the forefront with his first solo album in nearly 10 years, "Need You," following the video release for his most recent single from the album, "Free, Free."
