Janelle Monáe Marches Against Police Brutality In Chicago After 'Secret' Show

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Aug 18, 2015 3:06PM

Singer, songwriter and fashion icon Janelle Monáe was in Chicago for a somewhat-secret show Monday morning. Following the free gig in River North, Monáe led a march through the Loop alongside the mother of Sandra Bland, who made national headlines last month after she was arrested during a traffic stop and later found hanging in a Texas jail cell.

Bland's family recently filed a 46-page lawsuit alleging police misconduct led to Bland's untimely death. Monáe has been an outspoken critic of the criminal justice system, and last Friday she shared her views on the "Today" show (some of which were cut off from airing).

"#SandraBland's mother, Geneva Reed-Veal today at Chicago's bean. This is for her all the mother's still seeking justice. We come not as artists but as human beings first. #SayHerName #HYTB," Monáe wrote on Instagram Monday.

Monáe's song, "Hell You Talmbout," is about African-American victims of police violence.