Watch Rihanna’s Passionate Speech About Coming Together At The NAACP Image Awards
The internet is buzzing about Rihanna's powerful acceptance speech at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday night, and for good reason. Rihanna's speech at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards was a call for solidarity in the fight against inequality. Check out what the singer said during the star-studded event.
Rihanna was presented with the President's Award at the annual NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California on Saturday, Feb. 22. The award, which recognizes outstanding public service and achievement, was given to the 32-year-old for her groundbreaking cultural contributions to music, fashion, beauty, and activism. Rihanna has made her mark in the philanthropy world, founding the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012 to help support and fund global education and emergency response programs.
When taking the stage to accept her award, Rihanna decided to shift the focus away from herself. "OK, I’m going to try to keep this simple because tonight is not really about me because the purpose is bigger than me, right?" the singer said. "It’s not bigger than us together, but it’s bigger than me because my part is a very small part of the work that’s being done in this world and the work that has yet to be done."
She continued on with a call to action for people to unite together and stand up in support when it comes to racial discrimination. "And if there’s anything that I’ve learned it's that we can only fix this world together. We can’t do it divided. I cannot emphasize that enough. We can’t let the desensitivity seep in," the singer shared.
Rihanna explained that in order to fight injustice, people will need to work together across different races, sexes, and religions, and urged allies to speak up on issues like police violence against people of color. "So when we’re marching and protesting and posting about the Michael Brown Juniors and Atatiana Jeffersons of the world, tell your friends to pull up," she said.
Rihanna ended her inspiring speech on an empowering note, before receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. "We've been denied opportunities since the beginning of time. Still, we prevail," the singer said. "Imagine what we can do together."