#IStandWithAhmed: Musicians show solidarity with boy arrested for making a clock
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Version 0 of 1. Ahmed Mohamed has had quite a week. The 14-year-old boy was arrested for bringing a homemade clock into school on Wednesday, and has been on the receiving end of a flood of support across social media ever since. Related: Obama invites Texas boy – and his clock – for visit as authorities defend arrest Questlove, drummer for the Roots and the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, soul singer-songwriter Janelle Monáe and R&B singer Ne-Yo are a few of the musicians to have voiced their solidarity with Mohamed online – and they’ve been keeping some fairly high-profile company. “We should uplift more boys/girls like Ahmed!” tweeted Janelle Monáe, after sharing a link to US president Barack Obama’s tweet inviting Mohamed to visit the White House. “Brilliant minds! Embrace the things that make you unique even if it makes others uncomfortable.” Monáe had also shared the popular hashtag, #IStandWithAhmed, in a separate post. Questlove, who like Monáe peppers his social media feeds with politically charged material from time to time, also used the #IStandWithAhmed hashtag on both Twitter and Instagram. Questlove linked to a Gizmodo article about Mohamed’s arrest, prefaced with the words “Nerds Unite”. Related: #IStandWithAhmed: Obama joins supporters rallying around Texas teen R&B and soul singer John Legend, who tweets often about civil rights and politics in America, didn’t write a message of his own, but retweeted Obama’s White House visit invitation. Rapper Talib Kweli and Def Jam record label founder Russell Simmons also tweeted messages for Mohamed. “Ahmed, it’s innovative, curious, bright minds like yours who move humanity forward,” tweeted hip-hop and pop musician and producer Pharrell Williams. “You are our future. Keep inventing! #IStandWithAhmed.” Elsewhere, singer Ne-Yo tweeted an invitation into the music industry to Mohamed’s family’s official Twitter account, @IStandwithAhmed: Hey @istandwithAhmed, if you ever want to get into the world of music, let me know. #theworldisyours #IStandWithAhmed Mohamed, a Texan schoolboy, was suspended from his school for three days after both his English teacher and school principal believed a clock Mohamed built and brought into school was a bomb. In a positive turn of events, Mohamed has since picked up encouragement from the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Twitter itself. Since Mohamed’s arrest, the charges against him have been dropped. |