Bruce Springsteen Believes America Is Still Haunted By 'Slavery'

The ongoing protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death have once again made racism a hot topic for debate. From politicians to celebrities, everyone is coming out and voicing their opinions on how the U.S. is still facing the age-old issue.

Musician Bruce Springsteen has also come out in support of the protests and noted that America is still being “haunted” by “slavery.” While making an appearance in his “ Bruce Springsteen - From His Home to Yours” series on SiriusXM, the 70-year-old singer reflected on the demonstrations that have engulfed the nation and he chose songs that echoed his feelings on racism.

The “Land of Hope and Dreams” hitmaker explained that generation after generation, the U.S. still gets haunted by the “original sin” of slavery. The musician further stated that slavery is the greatest unresolved issue of the American society.

“We remain haunted, generation after generation, by our original sin of slavery. It remains the great unresolved issue of American society. The weight of its baggage gets heavier with each passing generation. As of this violent, chaotic week on the streets of America, there is no end in sight,” Springsteen said.

The Academy Award-winning composer started the show with the song “41 Shots (American Skin).” The track was written after the death of Amadou Diallo. Diallo was killed in a police encounter in 1999 in New York. The 23-year-old Guinean immigrant was shot 41 times by the police officers of NYPD. However, all four police officers who were charged in the case were found not guilty.

Before playing the song, Springsteen shared that the song is eight minutes long and that is how long it took for Floyd to die in Minneapolis. He also made people aware that 8 minutes is a long time for a person to have someone’s leg on his neck.

“Eight minutes. That song is almost eight minutes long. That is how long it took George Floyd to die with a Minneapolis officer's knee buried into his neck. That is a long time. That is how long he begged for help and said he couldn't breathe,” Springsteen said.

In the end, the 20-time Grammy-winning said that the nation needs a “democratic” awakening.

“We have a choice between chaos or community, a spiritual, moral and democratic awakening or becoming a nation fallen to history as critical issues were refused or not addressed,” Springsteen said.