Estimated reading time: 5 minute(s)
At the BET Awards, Jesse Williams delivered an amazing speech that gave me chills. His words were nothing short of powerful.
He spoke to the pain of black people in different areas, whether it was police brutality, the appropriation of our culture, or the abuse we get in general in a white-favoring society.
By Nzinga Muhammad
He acknowledged those who have been murdered under the hands of policemen, including Tamir Rice; whose birthday he mentioned was recently.
Jesse Williams called out the fallacy of “freedom” pertaining to black people. He said it’s always “conditional” for us.
He called out the appropriation of black culture and the “gentrifying” of “our genius”, while there’s an attack on black life.
I am practically speechless at what to say about his words they spoke for themselves. That had to be one of, if not the most brilliant and thought provoking BET Award speech I have ever heard. It was probably one of the blackest moments on BET.
All Lives Matter supporters I’m sure were SHOOK. He single handedly dismantled their arguments and destroyed the idea that we have to conform to a rhetoric that others approve of for their comfort.
One of my favorite parts was the acknowledgement of black women in particular. Black women go through hell and back and we are sometimes an afterthought. It was nice to see a black man give praise and appreciation towards us, especially in a time where it seems as though black women don’t receive as much love from black men as we should.
I love love love LOVE this speech! I literally want this to be in history textbooks. I want never ending reposts, reblogs, favorites and likes for that speech. I want that speech to be ingrained in our minds, parced, understood, and used for the call to action for revolutionary change.
Thank you Jesse Williams!
(Follow Nzinga Muhammad on Twitter @QueenNzinga13)
