Jamie Foxx Explains Why Bringing His Daughters to Protest Was 'Bittersweet' and 'Heartbreaking'

Jamie Foxx is opening up about the difficulty and importance of having his girls by his side as he attended a recent protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd.

On Monday, the 52-year-old actor shared a series of images from the protest, during which he wore a T-shirt with a photo of slain teenager Trayvon Martin on it and was joined by a group of adults and children, including his 11-year-old daughter Annalise.

"Passing it along. Having my kids with me at the protest was bitter sweet. Having them watch the world come together was beautiful … but having to explain to them why we were all there was heartbreaking," wrote Foxx, who's also dad to 26-year-old daughter Corinne.

"Let's change the world so they don't have to live in it the way we have been ... " he concluded, adding the hashtags, "#justiceforgeorgefloyd" and "#blacklivesmatter."

Four days after the May 25 homicide of Floyd, Foxx attended a social justice rally for the 46-year-old truck driver, who died after his neck was pinned under the knee of now-former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin,

"This is the toughest time when things like this happen," the Oscar winner said at a press conference held at Minneapolis City Hall alongside retired NBA player Stephen Jackson, who grew up with Floyd and has been vocal about the injustice surrounding his death. "All I wanted to do was let you know that we're not afraid to stand ... we're not afraid of the moment."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Speaking of the cycle of police brutality against people of color, Foxx said that it "overcomplicates everything" black parents tell their children about "how to function in life," noting that "even the things that we've taught them don't seem to work."

"All we're trying to do is ask questions of why," he continued, making the comparison between Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who fatally shot nine members of a historically black church in 2015 and was arrested without incident, with what happened with Floyd, who was arrested after police received reports of forgery.

"I'm not a celebrity. I'm from Terrell, Texas. These are my brothers. This means everything because at the end of the day, when we see you guys out there on the frontline, we want to let you know that you've got support," Foxx said. "God bless George and his family."

The Just Mercy star also attended Floyd's funeral in Houston on Tuesday, where he was photographed seated alongside Channing Tatum. Both actors wore masks, amid the ongoing coronavirus global health crisis.

RELATED VIDEO: Beyoncé, Oprah and More Stars Share Powerful Messages as Protests Erupt Over George Floyd's Death

Foxx was famously supportive of the Martin family and called for justice surrounding the death of Trayvon, an unarmed 17-year-old who was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in 2012 in Sanford, Florida. The teen had been walking to his dad's house after buying some candy.

"I'm absolutely committed to all you out there who have young kids," Foxx said during a community event in South Florida in February 2013, according to NBC Miami. "I hope you never have to go through anything like this."

"I don't want anybody to forget about this, because they can't forget about the fact that they lost their son," he added. "And the thing is, we're not asking for anything out of the ordinary. We're asking for justice."

Zimmerman, now 36, was acquitted on July 13, 2013, after a closely watched trial, claiming self-defense.

To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:

• Campaign Zero (joincampaignzero.org) which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.
• ColorofChange.org works to make government more responsive to racial disparities.
• National Cares Mentoring Movement (caresmentoring.org) provides social and academic support to help black youth succeed in college and beyond.