FIGHTIN’ HATE
Va. vic’s ma, kin of Lee share stage at awards
POLITICAL AND social commentary struck a major chord at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards.
At a ceremony typically dedicated to honoring music's biggest stars for their professional achievements, the trophy-giving took a definitive backseat as a series of celebrities and public figures devoted their stage time to addressing divisive real-world issues.
The show’s most powerful moment occurred when Susan Bro — the mother of slain Charlottesville victim Heather Heyer — took the stage with a descendant of Confederate Civil War Gen. Robert E. Lee to vehemently denounce hatred and racism. Bro announced the creation of the Heather Heyer Foundation in her daughter’s honor.
“I want people to know that Heather never marched alone. She was always joined by people from every race and every background in this country,” said Bro, whose daughter, 32, was killed 15 days earlier when police say a white nationalist drove his car into a crowd where she was counter pro testing in Charlottesville, Va.
White nationalist and neo-Nazis had descended upon Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Lee, a controversial figure due to his standing within the Confederacy.
At Sunday’s award show, the Rev. Robert Lee IV of North Carolina also spoke out against hate before introducing Hey er' s mother.
“It is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America’s original sin,” the Protestant preacher said. “Today, I call on all of us with privilege and power to answer God’s call to confront racism and white supremacy head-on.”
Bro presented the brand-new award for Best Fight Against the System to six acts who wrote songs displaying ways to take action: Big Sean, John Legend, The Hamilton Mixtape, Alessia Cara, Taboo, featuring Shailene Woodley, and Logic, featuring Damian Lamar Hudson.
The memorable segment was one of many denouncements of hate and inequality at this year’s VMAs, and it followed up the night’s first presenter, Paris Jackson, slamming the neo-Nazis and white nationalists at the center of violence . We must show these Nazi, white supremacist jerks in Charlottesville, and all over the country, that as a nation with liberty as our slogan we have zero tolerance for their violence, their hatred and their discrimination," the 19-year-old Jackson declared to a roaring crowd. VMAs host Katy Perry, meanwhile, indirectly addressed the current global turmoil by holding up a fake newspaper headlined “The World Is On Fire,” while Kesha and the rapper Logic made a powerful statement about suicide prevention. Jared Leto also assured those battling depression that they're not alone during a moving tribute to late rockers Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, while the pop star Pink used her voice to preach self-acceptance while telling a story about how her 6-yearold daughter Willow struggled with her appearance.
“We don't change, we take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl,” said Pink, who received the night’s Video Vanguard lifetime achievement award. “We help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty.”
In terms of awards, Kendrick Lamar was the night’s big winner, taking home six Moon Person trophies including one for video of the Year for “Humble.” Lamar also provided a captivating opening act for the show by performing his hits “Humble” and “D.N.A.” on a stage covered in a fire.
Taylor Swift also managed to steal the show without even being present at the VMAs by premiering the music video for her buzzy — and uncharacteristically dark — new single “Look What You Made Me Do.” The video featured Swift, dressed as a zombie, emerging from a grave in what appeared to be a metaphor for her burying her old image in favor of a new, edgier one.
The pop star and Zayn Malik, who was also not present, won the award for best collaboration for their song “I Don't Wanna Live Forever.”