Black celebrities make a national call for Ralph Yarl
Celebrities and Black Twitter users are demanding justice for a Black teenager who was shot in the head by a white man last week after the student rang the doorbell of the wrong house looking for his siblings.
Halle Berry, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Hudson and others have used their social media platforms to raise awareness of 16-year-old high school junior Ralph Paul Yarl’s situation, while also calling for the arrest of the 84-year-old man who shot him. In a tweet Berry shared Sunday night, she said her heart “completely broke” after learning of Yarl’s case.
“This innocent child is now fighting for his life,” Berry tweeted. “This could be your child. This should NOT happen.”
Jennifer Hudson said the situation made her feel “heartbroken.”
“My God !!! Heartbroken for this young man and his family,” Hudson tweeted Sunday. “Praying for his complete recovery !”
My God !!! Heartbroken for this young man and his family. Praying for his complete recovery ! #RalphYarl pic.twitter.com/zm6Cl3JuSu
— Jennifer Hudson (@IAMJHUD) April 17, 2023
His name is #RalphYarl and I’m sick and tired of this feeling…my heart completely broke when I learned this precious 16-year-old, who accidentally rang the door of the wrong address in an attempt to pick up his siblings, was shot in the head… (1/3) pic.twitter.com/4VaZo7EFVE
— Halle Berry (@halleberry) April 17, 2023
Kerry Washington asked Twitter users to join in calling for an arrest.
“Instead of waiting around for #LoveIsBlind…make a phone call. For #RalphYarl,” Washington tweeted Sunday. “Demand that Prosecutor Zachary Thompson make an arrest and bring the appropriate charges.”
Yarl was shot Thursday when trying to pick up his siblings. According to police, Yarl mistakenly went to a home in the 1100 block of Northeast 115th Street instead of Northeast 115th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri. Yarl’s family has retained civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, who said in a statement that Yarl was shot both in the head and in the arm. He was released from the hospital on Saturday and is recovering at home, according to the family’s attorneys.
Andrew Lester was charged Monday with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action, Clay County prosecutors said. In addition to social media outcry, protests with Yarl’s family and community members have already taken place.
Crump and other civil rights leaders — including Shaun King, whose post was reshared on Kelly Rowland’s Instagram page — also called for justice on social media. Viola Davis also shared a post about Yarl on her Instagram page, writing in the caption “ALL HANDS ON DECK!!”
Aside from celebrities, many Twitter users have brought awareness to the case, particularly by sharing videos by Yarl’s aunt, Faith Spoonmore, recounting what happened to her nephew. Users have also shared Spoonmore’s GoFundMe page, which has raised over $2.7 million for Yarl’s medical expenses.
This article first appeared on NBCNews.com.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
