BTS
Highlights
- BTS will be meeting US President Joe Biden to discuss anti-Asian crimes
- South Korean band will visit the White House on Tuesday, May 31.
South Korean music group BTS will meet President Joe Biden next week, on May 31, to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes and celebrate Asian American (AA) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) Heritage Month. According to Deadline, the Grammy nominated septet — comprising RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — will visit the White House on Tuesday.
“President Biden has previously spoken about his commitment to combating the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and signed into law the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act in May 2021 to provide law enforcement with resources to identify, investigate, and report hate crimes and ensure that hate crimes information is more accessible to AA and NHPI communities,” the White House, the official residence and workplace of the US president, said in a statement.
“President Biden and BTS will also discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion and BTS’ platform as youth ambassadors who spread a message of hope and positivity across the world,” the statement further read.
BTS, known for hit Korean songs such as “Black Swan”, “Boy With Luv”, and “Life Goes On” as well as English singles “Dynamite” and “Butter”, has been vocal about the incidents of racial discrimination and violence towards Asian people in the West.
Two years ago, the band along with their management agency Big Hit Entertainment donated USD 1 million to Black Lives Matter foundation following the killing of George Floyd.
In 2017, the group also partnered with UNICEF to launch ‘Love Myself’, an anti-violence campaign. As special presidential envoy for future generations from their native South Korea, last September BTS addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and also performed their English single “Permission To Dance” at the UN headquarters.
(With PTI inputs)
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