BTS and Big Hit Entertainment’s $1 million donation for the Black Lives Matter movement created quite a stir in the community. So much so that the BTS fans, or ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth), as they are called, decided to donate the same amount for the cause. And it did so within 24 hours.
The feat comes after K-Pop fans tried to take over the hashtag #whitelivesmatter. The hashtag was filled with white supremist messages and K-Pop fans tried to drown that out with non-sensical or anti-racial posts. They also flooded the Dallas Police Department’s iWatch Dallas app with K-Pop content to drown out footage of protestors.
The move proved how much power the community has on social media and was met with widespread approval online.
In this context, the BTS ARMY did its bit and proved itself to be a global influence after they matched the group’s $1 million donation within a day of the news hitting the internet. They donated around $1,026,531 with 35,609 donors.
The project was set up by One in an ARMY, a group of volunteers who have come together to help organisations across the globe unite in their love for BTS. They have been organising monthly charities and were able to put together a way to track donations made by everyone in an effort to #MatchAMillion.
Notably, BTS and their record label, Big Hit Entertainment, donated $1 million to the organisation. Speaking to Variety, Black Lives Matter (BLM) managing director Kailee Scales said, “Black people all over the world are in pain at this moment from the trauma of centuries of oppression. We are moved by the generosity of BTS and allies all over the world who stand in solidarity in the fight for Black lives.”
BTS had also declared their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and shared a post for the same on Twitter. “We stand against racial discrimination. We condemn violence. You, I and we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together. #BlackLivesMatter,” the group tweeted.
The feat came to light after BTS’s virtual gig at YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020. The group, along with stars like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, were some of the most featured guests on the widely-watched programme. Other guests on the show were Secretary of Defence Robert M. Gates, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and others. Former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama were also present at the ceremony.