Beyoncé Pays Tribute to Quawan Charles
Beyoncé has been on the forefront of spotlighting social justice, and now, she’s paying tribute to a Black teen who was found dead in Louisiana.
Via the homepage of her website, the superstar singer and entrepreneur featured a picture of Quawan Charles and the message “Rest in peace Quawan ‘Bobby’ Charles 2005-2020.”
The 15-year-old Baldwin, Louisiana, teen vanished from his home on October 30. Days later, the family said his body was found in a sugarcane field about 20 miles away in Iberia Parish. And the Iberia Parish Coroner’s Office said a preliminary autopsy shows Quawan likely drowned to death, reports KLFY-TV.
An investigation has since been launched by local authorities to find out what happened between Quawan’s disappearance and his body being discovered.
The medical examiner's office said a full report can take up to 12 weeks. The local sheriff's department, however, has already deemed the circumstances around his death "suspicious."
Beyoncé has previously brought awareness to those who have died because of violence against Black and brown bodies and called for justice for them. In May, she posted a tribute to Ahmaud Arbery amid a chorus of calls for justice.
Now, in the case of Quawan, her message comes at a time of rising calls by his family and racial justice advocates to determine the cause of death for the 15-year-old.
Quawan’s family has launched a Gofundme to conduct an independent autopsy and help cover costs of investigating his death.