Last week at the 2016 BET Awards, Jesse Williams, who is an activist and actor but better known for his role on the hit show 'Grey's Anatomy' won the Humanitarian award. It wasn't his good looks that had the audience in awe. It was his speech that went viral moments after. Williams spoke out about the plight of black people, police brutality and the obstacles of being black in Hollywood.
Williams started off his speech by saying, "This award is not for me. This is for the real organizers all over the country; the activist, the civil rights attorney's, struggling parents, the teachers, the students. That are realizing; that a system built to divide and impoverish and destroy us. Cannot stand if we do...." It was then followed by a roar of applause. Williams made it his responsibility to thank those who are fighting for the rights of those who many think should not have any rights at all.
Many have taken offense to his speech such as Tommi Lahren, who is a news personality, gave her not so warranted opinion. Lahren started off her 'Final Thoughts' show with this, "Well The Bet Awards were last night. Notably, they were very black. Oh, but can I say that, well with my whiteness and all, too damn bad." Lahren immediately sounds confrontational, that Williams is standing up for his race that has been oppressed for years.
Lahren goes on to say, "Question, was this a celebration of black entertainment or an opportunity to complain about the plight of wealthy black actors and musicians?" Lahren then points out that she feels many of the acceptance speeches were centered around victimhood and police bashing.
In a century where "racism is not supposed to exist", young black men or black women for that matter, cannot walk down the street in plain clothes without being harassed by the police or a neighborhood "hero".
Williams's speech continues to address police brutality, "What we been doing is looking at the data. We know police somehow manage to de-escalate, disarm and not kill white people every day." Williams is referring to the Oregon Militia group who were armed and overtook a federal building.
It took the police almost a month to get the military out of the building, but when the Black Lives Matter organization has a peaceful protest, the police are there in full combat uniform, tear gas and gas mask. Along with road blocks around certain areas of the city.
While Lahren felt that Williams's above quote was a "war on cops", what she fails to realize is that he was not speaking to all police, Williams was speaking on the police that is committing these brutal acts against people of color.
Williams also addressed the fact that Tamir Rice's 13th birthday would be on June 25th, 2016. He no longer wants to hear about how far we have moved on from racism when a 12-year-old boy can get shot in the broad day playing in the park with a BB gun. That same officer who shot Rice gets to go home every night free without facing any consequences.
Williams goes on in his speech to address that if people are going to critique the resistance of black people, then they have to have the proper understanding of black people's oppression. If there is no interest in helping black people gain equal rights, then do not give advice to those that want to help black people.
Lahren then goes on another rant and says, "Equal rights? Please tell me, Mister Williams, what rights black peoples don't have?" As though the fact that black people have been fighting for equal rights for 500 plus years, starting with slavery, then Jim Crow laws, then the Civil rights movement. Black people did not get the right to vote until 1965. With that being said black people have only had civil rights for 51 years.
Williams ends his speech stating that his is no longer going to let white media make black culture a thing for the masses to make fun or make a profit off of as well.
The media tends to demean blackness, but when other races try to take credit or "re-invent" black culture, the media will give credit and praise the other race for the hairstyles and physical features that black people have had for years.
When wealthy or influential black people speak up about the oppression of black people, many find it to be police and white bashing. While Lahren felt offended by Williams's speech, many felt inspired by the eloquent speech, that has been all over social media.
