Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix has spoken out against racism stating that “as humans, we have a responsibility to elevate ourselves in our thought, our mind, how we process our feelings and ideas.”
Speaking with LAMC Productions in Singapore, Papa Roach vocalist Jacoby Shaddix spoke out about the unjust racism that continues to spiral out of control worldwide, especially in the United States amidst the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others who have been killed by American police officers.
“The racial unrest has been here since the beginning of America,” Shaddix stated “I mean, let’s not fool ourselves. It’s been something that’s pervasive in culture and civilisation since the beginning.”
As for what we can do to stop this circle of racism, Shaddix noted that “as humans, we have a responsibility to elevate ourselves in our thought, our mind, how we process our feelings and ideas.”
As the Papa Roach frontman grew up in California, he realised that he “never grew up [to be] a racist,” stating, “I was always a person that was just, like, ‘Let’s come together.’ And that’s been my spirit since I’ve been a kid.”
With the current battle bringing the Black Lives Matter movement back into the spotlight, Shaddix says that his “heart goes out to the black community, because it’s been an uphill battle for them.”
For a state of change, he notes that “we’ve gotta lift our brothers and sisters up — period,” regardless of United States President Trump constantly choosing to tear down Americans by spewing racism:
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“And even in the beginning of this pandemic, the president of the United States was, like, ‘Oh, this is a Chinese virus,’ and he was getting all racial with that. And we’re just going, ‘Hey, man, we can’t treat our Asian-Americans like that, we can’t treat our people like that — that’s not how we do it.
“I’m trying to live on a higher resonance of being a human being and just treat people good and treat people with love and respect and kindness. But right now, it’s boiling. It’s the African-Americans’ time right now to be heard, because they’ve been screaming for years and years and years, and people keep denying them. And it’s absolutely disrespectful. I don’t stand for it. I stand with my brothers and sisters of color, and that’s just it.”
Shaddix added that he’s been “praying a lot on this one” as he’s wanting to find where his “role in society” is to end racism: “I feel like I’m sent here to help bring unity to people and to be a peacemaker. That’s where I stand. Because that’s what everybody wants — everybody wants some peace; peace and some sanity. Right now, there’s just so much division, politically [and] culturally. You could feel it. And it’s a bummer.”
Check out Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix’s full interview:
