Queen Latifah stages minute of silence for kidnapped Nigerian girls

Rapper-turned-TV personality Queen Latifah staged a silent protest against the Islamist militants who kidnapped 250 schoolgirls in Nigeria last month (Apr14) during a taping of her daytime show on Monday (12May14).

The Chicago star was among the first celebrities to highlight the plight of the teenagers, who were abducted from schools in northern Nigeria in the dead of night by members of the Boko Haram organization and she dedicated a segment of her daytime show to the drama on Monday.

Joined by media mogul Arianna Huffington, leading feminist Gloria Steinem and actress Rita Moreno, Latifah, real name Dana Owens, staged a minute's silence, during which she, her guests and members of the studio audience all held up signs that read #BringBackOurGirls, which has become a major trending topic on social media.

Bob Geldof, Angelina Jolie, Alyssa Milano and Wyclef Jean are also among the celebrities who have called for international action to seek out the abducted girls and free them before Boko Haram plans to sell the teenagers into slavery can be put into action.

Jolie has called the group's actions "unthinkable cruelty", while hip-hop star Wyclef Jean has tweeted, "Children are the reward of life. Rescue our Nigerian sisters. The world is watching, Make your voice heard."