Rochelle and Marvin Humes spoke candidly to their followers about the importance of having conversations surrounding racism on Friday.
The couple shared the video to their respective Instagram pages in place of their ‘Stay Home With The Humes’ Friday night disco.
The Saturday’s star, 31, stressed how important it is for their children to know they are ‘enough’ and how they want them to be ‘proud’ of their heritage.
Important: Rochelle and Marvin Humes spoke candidly to their followers about the importance of having conversations surrounding racism on Friday
Marvin, 35, began: ‘Hey guys how you doing? Normally we’d be getting ready for our Stay Home With The Humes House Party, but it just doesn’t feel right. It has been a massive few days around the world after the tragic killing of George Floyd.’
Last Friday, ex-police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after a video surfaced of him crushing 46-year-old Floyd’s neck with his knee in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The JLS singer continued: ‘And of course Black Out Tuesday that happened this week as well.’ Rochelle then shared: ‘Initially we were quite sceptical about Black Out Tuesday.’
Speaking out: The couple shared the video to their respective Instagram pages in place of their ‘Stay Home With The Humes’ Friday night disco
On Tuesday, many Instagram users shared a black square to their page to protest racism and police brutality. It was a movement started by the music industry.
Rochelle continued: ‘We thought it can’t just be one day. It can’t be one week, one month. It needs to be a conversation that keeps happening. But I think it’s been far more positive than we could have hoped.’
Marvin went on: ‘Definitely, we’ve seen so many people that follow us, people we follow, friends, family, work colleagues take time this week and understand the challenges other communities face at the hands of racism.’
Honest: Marvin, 35, began: ‘Normally we’d be getting ready for our Stay Home With The Humes House Party, but it just doesn’t feel right. It has been a massive few days around the world’
‘They are enough’: ‘We have two girls and soon a son that we’re raising. We want them to know they’re enough. To feel enough’, the couple said
Rochelle then said: ‘It’s been a beautiful thing. Previously these conversations might have made people feel uncomfortable. Maybe innocently not wanting to say the wrong thing. We’ve seen that with friends.’
Marvin continued: ‘I’m in a WhatsApp group with five other white guys, I’m the only black guy in the group and one of them opened up a conversation about race and he shared his experiences growing up and what he’s seen and we had a lengthy conversation on the group. And it was a conversation that would have never happened if we hadn’t had the events of the last week.’
The mum-of-two then said: ‘And sadly an innocent man died so we can have these conversations. It breaks my heart. ‘It’s the unthinkable. Sadly it’s not just one incident, it’s been going on for generations.
Protest: The JLS singer continued ‘And of course Black Out Tuesday that happened this week as well.’ Rochelle then shared ‘Initially we were quite sceptical about Black Out Tuesday’
‘And for clarity when we say “black lives matter” it doesn’t mean that only black lives matter. We’re all in agreement that all lives matter. But right now, and history will tell you, black lives are in danger.
‘And if all lives matter, black lives would. And that’s all it is.’
The couple said they want their two daughters and their unborn son to know ‘they’re enough’.
Rochelle said: ‘It’s been a beautiful thing. Previously these conversations might have made people feel uncomfortable. Maybe innocently not wanting to say the wrong thing. We’ve seen that with friends’
Marvin thoughtfully added: ‘We never want them to questions their skin colour, question who they are, they should never question their heritage. They need to be proud of that.’
Rochelle said: ‘They are a beautiful mix from all over the world. We never want them to question that. We want them to be comfortable in their own skin, be represented.’
She went on: ‘You can’t be what you can’t see. Fact.
Family: Rochelle said: ‘They are a beautiful mix from all over the world. We never want them to question that. We want them to be comfortable in their own skin, be represented’
‘It wasn’t like that when we were growing up. The positives are that we are taking, having those conversations with people that go ‘oh I don’t really want to talk about that.’
‘Well guess what – talk about it, buy that book watch that film educate your little ones educate yourselves.’
Marvin ended by sharing: ‘We are one human race at the end of the day. No one is born racist. No one is born ignorant.’
Devastating: ‘An innocent man died so we can have these conversations. It breaks my heart. ‘It’s the unthinkable. Sadly it’s not just one incident, it’s been going on for generations’
Earlier this week, Rochelle shared a post to condemn the killing of George Floyd, urging her followers to be anti-racist.
She wrote: ‘The story of George Floyd angers and upsets me to my core, sadly it’s not the first but we HAVE to make it the last.
‘The thought of ever having to explain this world to my babies. Glossing over this or scrolling past because it ‘doesn’t effect you and your world’ isn’t enough anymore, pay attention these are innocent lives.
‘If you think it doesn’t effect you you are very much mistaken, this is a human race issue!! Enough is enough..I want to help, I don’t know how but I want to.
‘So let’s all shout it for the people at the back. #justiceforgeorgefloyd (I’ve linked a petition in my stories).’
Powerful: Marvin ended by sharing: ‘We are one human race at the end of the day. No one is born racist. No one is born ignorant’