Bruce Springsteen says America remains ‘haunted by original sin of slavery’

‘The weight of its baggage gets heavier with each passing generation’

Bruce Springsteen has reacted to George Floyd’s death and spoken out on racism in the US, saying America remains “haunted” by the “original sin of slavery”.

The artist shared his remarks on Wednesday on his E Street Radio channel on SiriusXM, as part of the Bruce Springsteen – From His Home to Yours programme.

He opened the broadcast with the song “American Skin (41 Shots)”, inspired by the 1999 death of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed man who was fatally shot by New York City police officers. The song was originally released in 2000, after the officers were acquitted of all charges in the case.

Springsteen dedicated the song to Floyd’s memory and to the cities where demonstrations have taken place in reaction to his death.

Throughout the broadcast, Springsteen played songs related to racism, violence, and American history, such as Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”, Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”, and Bob Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell”.

At one point during the set, Springsteen remarked: “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.”

Four former Minneapolis police officers have now been charged in relation to Floyd’s death.