The Trayvon Martin killing has grabbed attention nationwide, and now it has sparked a musical tribute. Singer Chaka Khan gathered a group of musicians and actors to record a remake of the song "Super Life" in memory of the Fla. teen, who was shot and killed during a confrontation with George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchmen.
The video, which features famous faces like Angela Bassett, Eva Marcille, and Garcelle Beauvais, premiered Monday night on CNN. The singer spoke with Piers Morgan about why she felt the story has become so controversial, particularly in the black community.
"Here's the thing," she told Morgan. "We are sick and tired in America of seeing little children lost, and children gone missing and they never make the nine o'clock or the five o'clock news."
The diva is amongst a number of celebrities who have spoken out, demanding justice for Martin's family. In a rare display of social activism in sports, Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat tweeted photos of the team in hoodies in solidarity with Martin's family. Even President Obama himself called the incident a tragedy, saying if he had a son, he would look like Travyon Martin.
On her website, Khan wrote about the importance of celebrity involvement in such a high profile case.
Celebrities are privileged beyond belief to have a public following. We have explored and exploited media to our own benefits. Now it's time to exploit media for the benefit of humanity as a whole. As purveyors of content and media, we need to use our voices to stop injustice at the site of its origin.
Huffington Post Black Voices associate editor, Danielle Cadet, spoke to The Insider about how celebrities have utilized social media to raise awareness about Trayvon Martin.