George Floyd’s death inspires teen to pen musical tribute
I knew I had to do something about it
A TEENAGE singer from Hinckley has created an emotive musical tribute to George Floyd calling for justice and equality.
Izzy Way, 16, penned ‘Say their names’ to draw attention to the injustices that black people face, recording a video of her singing while playing her ukulele.
She has shared the clip across social media, including on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
She said: “With the recent events, I didn’t know how else to communicate my feelings. I thought music would be the best way to do that.”
Izzy said it was horrible to watch the video of George Floyd pinned to the floor with a Minnesota policeman’s knee on his neck.
She said: “My heart just sank, I just cried, because it shocked me so much, hearing that man beg for his life, from the people who were supposed to protect him.
“It really hurt me inside and I knew I had to do something about it.”
The song includes the lyrics: “He leaves his baby girl, what has happened to our world. And he is not the only one, look at what you’ve done.
“Look at what justice, has become.”
In her efforts to help raise awareness, Izzy also went to a Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester.
She said: “Everyone was very respectful, especially of social distancing.
“There were no fights, it was completely peaceful. We had about 3,000 people showing support.
“I didn’t expect that many people to come and support it.”
Izzy has always enjoyed singing and has performed at family concerts, including the charity birthday celebrations for her late brother Christopher, who died in 2002 at the age of four after surgery to remove a brain tumour.
She sings a lot of covers and enjoys alternative music such as Billie Eilish, and she said music has been a big help while being stuck at home during the coronavirus lockdown.
The young talent said: “Lots of people are using music to get through this time. Because music is universal, it’s a lot easier for people to communicate.”
She said of her song ‘Say their names’: “I wrote the song and posted the video to spread awareness for all people of colour all over the world.
“I want to promote equality and promote change. If we all band together, we can make a change.”