Justin Bieberis speaking out against racism, and apologizing again for past racist remarks he himself made.
On Tuesday, the “Sorry” singer, 25, shared on Instagram an image of the phrase “Stand Against Racism.”
“When I was young, I was uneducated and found myself saying really hurtful things not knowing the power of my words,” Bieber wrote in his post.
“Racism Is still very prevalent and I want to use my voice to remind we are all human being and all of EQUAL VALUE BEFORE GOD!” he continued.
Back in 2014, Bieber found himself in hot water when unearthed footage surfaced from his 2011 documentaryNever Say Never, showingBieber repeatedly using a derogatory slur in the punchline to a joke.
Shortly after the footage went public, Bieber released a statement attempting to explain his actions and apologizing for them.
“As a kid, I didn’t understand the power of certain words and how they can hurt,” Bieber said. “I thought it was okay to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but didn’t realize at the time that it wasn’t funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance.”
“Thanks to friends and family I learned from my mistakes and grew up and apologized for those wrongs,” he continued. “Now that these mistakes from the past have become public I need to apologize again to all those I have offended. I’m very sorry. I take my friendships with people of all cultures very seriously and I apologize for offending or hurting anyone with my childish and inexcusable mistake.”
He went on to insist that his actions would not be repeated.
“I was a kid then and I am a man now who knows my responsibility to the world and to not make that mistake again,” Bieber said. “Ignorance has no place in our society and I hope the sharing of my faults can prevent others from making the same mistake in the future. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say but telling the truth is always what’s right.”
“Five years ago I made a reckless and immature mistake and I’m grateful to those close to me who helped me learn those lessons as a young man,” Bieber concluded. “Once again I’m sorry.”
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Bieber has been taking a break from his career over the past few months,focusing instead on his mental healthand his marriage to wifeHailey Baldwin, 23.
In September,Bieber opened up on Instagramabout some of the things he has learned now and the negative effect early fame had on his life.
He recalled how, after growing up in an unstable home, his entire “world was flipped on its head” in the span of two years when he burst onto the scene at age 13.
Fame, Bieber said, was also detrimental to his personal growth — as he never learned the true meaning of responsibility and was never able to develop skills beyond his music career. “Everyone did everything for me, so I never even learned the fundamentals of responsibility,” said Bieber. “By this point, I was 18 with no skills in the real world, with millions of dollars and access to whatever I wanted.”
BACKGRID
Despite the problems he faced, Bieber said he found comfort and support in a group of people, including his Baldwin, who “encourage him to keep going.”
The star has alsosought professional treatment, a source previously told PEOPLE.
“You see, I have a lot of money, clothes, cars, accolades, achievements, awards, and I was still unfulfilled,” Bieber admitted. “It’s taken me years to bounce back from all of these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships, and change relationship habits.”
“Luckily, God blessed me with extraordinary people who love me for me,” he added. “Now I am navigating the best season of my life ‘MARRIAGE’ !! Which is an amazing, crazy, new responsibility,” he shared. “You learn patience, trust, commitment, kindness, humility, and all of the things it looks like to be a good man.”
source: people.com
