The Associated Press

Latest Police Shootings Inspire Wave of Celebrity Activism

In the days after the shooting deaths of two black men by police, celebrities are doing more than just expressing frustration. They're demanding action, and in some cases, leading it.

Beyonce called on her fans to contact their congressional representatives; T.I. marched with thousands to protest police brutality in Atlanta; and Snoop Dogg and The Game went to Los Angeles Police Department headquarters, where they addressed graduating cadets with 100 community members.

"This is how you make moves," Snoop said at Friday's event. "You make it happen. You get some dialogue, some understanding with the new recruits before they hit the streets, so that way they know we're just like them and we trying to live and go home and get some understanding."

While the police-related killings of blacks has drawn impassioned commentary from celebrities before, and some have aligned themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement, the killings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, within days of each other last week, sparked a new level of outrage and reaction, particularly from black celebrities, calling for a movement to change.

The killings of five police officers in Dallas by a lone gunman motivated by racial hatred of whites heightened the tensions and calls for the need for change.

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