James R | On 12, Jun 2020

Dave Chappelle has spoken out about the death of George Floyd in a surprise new comedy special for Netflix.

Released by Netflix on YouTube late last night, the 30-minute special is named after the length of time that Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck. He talks in depth about police brutality and that tragic death, which has sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests and rallies across the US, UK and around the world.

The show was filmed in Yellow Springs, Ohio, on 6th June in a socially distanced concert that gave attendees face masks and, as he points out, marks one of the first concerts in North America since “all this s*** happened”, so “like it or not, it’s history”.

“Why would anyone care what their favourite comedian thinks?” he asks, before going on to reveal the personal significance of the number “8:46”. The special marks Chappelle’s fourth for Netflix, after signing a deal to release two specials at the end of 2017 and a third in 2019.

“Normally I wouldn’t show you something so unrefined, I hope you understand,” he said in a statement on YouTube, followed by a link to the Equal Justice Initiative, which works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality – you can support that organisation here

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