Rapper and Actress Queen Latifah was one of the pioneers VH1 Hip Honors: All Hail The Queens paid tribute to last night for pioneering hip hop music. Latifah had success as artist, entrepreneur and major success as actress for over 30 years. She has been model of positivity for black women and African Americans in general.
Last night at the VH1 Hip Honors Latifah took time to address the racial tension happening across the country,
“We all know that the world and our world is really tense right now. It’s a lot of tension. It’s a lot of angst. It’s a lot of hurt. A lot of pain. I’m hoping that we can somehow manage to channel all of these emotions that we have in a positive way and really do something to change our world.
“I don’t care how much money or things I have, or Puff has, or Missy [Elliot] has, the ladies have, if I go outside and try to hail a cab and he passes me for the white woman standing right there—that racism is still alive and kicking,” she continued. “And we have to change that. And I’m not blaming the white lady, she needed a cab too. I’m just saying we gotta change this attitude.”
The show started with a opening speech from the Black Lives Matter organizers Alicia Garza and Darnell Moore addressing the recent violence against unarmed black men and unjustified attacks on police officers.
Rapper, actor and activist Common praised the courage of Diamond Reynolds, the girlfriend of Philando Castile who filmed his deadly shooting in Minnesota last week and posted it on Facebook.
He hailed Reynolds for trying “to calmly de-escalate the deadly situation and hours later, was at her governor’s mansion, demanding justice.”
VH1 Hip Hop Honors Pays Tribute To Some Best Female Emcees To Ever Do It.
Watch Queen Latifah’s speech below.
