“We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does.”
Black power, suffering and the fight for justice took center stage at the BET awards on Sunday, the first Black celebrity event in the United States since nationwide mass protests broke out this month over systemic racism.
The show, which celebrates Black excellence in music, film, sports and philanthropy, was filled with speeches, songs, images of protests and the names of dozens of Black men and women who have died at the hands of police in recent years.
Beyonce, who was given a humanitarian award by former U. S. first lady Michelle Obama for her charitable initiatives, urged the Black community to use its vote in upcoming U. S. elections to dismantle “racist and unequal systems.”
“We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does,” the singer said.
