Rihanna delivered an invigorating acceptance speech encouraging non-Black friends to “pull up” in the unending fight for equality in America at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards.
Robyn Rihanna Fenty, 32, who founded the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012 that is devoted to philanthropic work in multiple countries around the world, was bestowed with the President’s Award at the awards ceremony Saturday night in Los Angeles.
While the Barbadian beauty lauded people of color for their valor and often thankless task of fighting on the front lines for justice, she challenged the Blacks in the audience to demand their friends of other races get involved.
“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? 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,” Bad Girl RiRi stressed.
Rihanna stressed that it’s not just Black’s people’s problem to protest and combat police brutality and other issues that plague America.
“And if there’s anything that I’ve learned it s that we can only fix this world together,” the anti-artist said. “We can’t do it divided. I cannot emphasize that enough. We can’t let the desensitivity seep in. The, ‘If it’s your problem, then it’s not mine. It’s a woman’s problem. It’s a black people problem; It’s a poor people problem.’ I mean, how many of us in this room have colleagues and partners and friends from other races, sexes, religions? Show of hands. Well, they want to break bread with you, right? They like you? Well, then this is their problem, too.” She continued, “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.”
Check out Rihanna’s speech in full below:
