1,000 signatures reached
To: Netflix, Hartbeat
Donate profits from Kevin Hart roast to the Floyd Family Center for Social Equity!
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The murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, which sparked nationwide protests and civil unrest, continues to be a stain on our country’s history. George's daughter, Gianna, is now growing up without her father. His family, loved ones, and community continue to grieve their loss every day.
But to hack comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, George's murder is a joke. Literally.
Hinchcliffe and a team of predominately white comedians are facing backlash for a racist and cruel joke made during “The Roast of Kevin Hart,” which aired on Netflix as part of the Netflix Is a Joke Festival.
Hinchcliffe has a history of racist material that isn’t funny, reinforces stereotypes, and now trivializes violence against people of color. Netflix and Kevin Hart decided to platform him anyway.
We’re not laughing. And we demand more than an apology. We demand reparations. Add your name to the petition to urge Netflix and Hartbeat to contribute profits from “The Roast of Kevin Hart” to the Floyd Family Center for Social Equity.
Why is this important?
For nine minutes and 29 seconds on May 25, 2020, police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck, using the full weight of his body. Repeatedly, George pleaded, "I can't breathe."
His final words sparked national protests against police violence. But police killings nationwide have risen every year since 2020. And the Trump administration has rolled back investigations of police departments accused of violating constitutional rights.
The movement to defend Black lives, hold police to account, and truly transform our legal and policing systems rooted in white supremacy and violence is as pressing as ever.
And it’s in that context that Hinchcliffe and the team of primarily white writers for “The Roast of Kevin Hart” decided to make a disgusting and shameful joke about George's murder. A joke that his daughter, family, and loved ones—still everyday grieving every day—have to reckon with. And it’s not the first joke about George Floyd’s murder Hinchcliffe has made: He made another joke about him during the Tom Brady roast a few years ago.
The Floyd Family Center for Social Equity was established by George's family in his home state of North Carolina. The nonprofit aims to "shine light on inequities experienced by underserved and underfunded communities."
Inequities like making Black pain and trauma a punchline for white comedians, packaged and sold by corporations like Netflix, and normalized by wealthy Hollywood stars like Hart.
Netflix and Hart knew exactly what they were doing when they platformed Hinchcliffe. And now they have to answer to us, the public. Add your name to the petition to demand they donate proceeds from the roast to the Floyd Family Center for Social Equity now!