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'The Weeknd' Donates $250,000 To Black Lives Matter

By Jon Wiederhorn

(RADIO.COM) – The Weeknd has announced that he has donated $250,000 to the Black Lives Matter movement, sources tell The Fader.

The R&B star has been public about his feelings over the recent episodes of police brutality. In July, the singer tweeted, "enough is enough. it's time to stand up for this. we can either sit and watch, or do something about it. the time is now. #blacklivesmatter"

The organization fights for freedom and equality for African-Americans and has drawn significant attention following several recent incidents in which young black men were shot and killed by white policemen. Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi.

The Weeknd won two Grammy awards last year for Best Urban Contemporary Album for Beauty Behind the Madness and Best R&B Performance for "Earned It." he was also nominated for an Academy Award for "Earned It," which appeared in 50 Shades of Grey. The Weeknd's other hits are "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills."

Recently, the Weeknd donated $38,000 to the University of Toronto to develop an Ethiopian studies program. The Weeknd's parents are from Ethiopia, but the singer was raised in Canada.

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