Justin Bieber says he's 'willing to stand up' for the Black Lives Matters movement

Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber took to Instagram on Friday to voice his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. 

"I am a white Canadian and I will never know what it feels like to be an African American," Bieber wrote in the caption of a post that read "Black Lives Matter."

"But what I do know is I am willing to stand up and use my voice to shine light on racism, because it's a real thing and it's more prevalent now than I have ever seen in my lifetime," he wrote. "We are all God's children and we are ALL EQUAL."Bieber has largely avoided making political statements throughout his career, though he did reportedly turn down $5 million to perform at the 2016 Republican National Convention. 

The 23-year-old pop star appeared among many other celebrities at last week's "Hand in Hand" telethon, which raised over $55 million for victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.