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- Beyoncé dedicated her BET Humanitarian Award to all those filling the streets in the US as they continue to seek justice for black lives.
- She used her acceptance speech to urge fans to vote.
- "We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does," she said.
Beyoncé was honoured on Sunday at the BET Awards, receiving the prestigious Humanitarian Award.
Michelle Obama presented the award to the A-lister, praising her commitment to empowering the black community, reports CNN. "You can see it in everything she does, from her music that gives voice to black joy and black pain, to her activism that demands justice for black lives," the former first lady said. "To my girl, I just want to say, you inspire me. You inspire all of us,"
According to BBC, the honour was previously given to Muhammad Ali, Quincy Jones and Rev. Al Sharpton.
In her acceptance speech, Bey dedicated the award to those filling the streets in the US as Black Lives Matter protests continue in the wake of George Floyd's death.
She said in an impassioned speech: "Your voices are being heard and you're proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain," she said in a pre-recorded acceptance speech.
"Now we have one more thing we need to do to walk in our true power and that is to vote. I'm encouraging you to continue to take action. Continue to change and dismantle the racist and unequal system."
She added: "We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does."
.@Beyonce's acceptance speech for her 'BET Humanitarian Award' #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/FqNHBBWKQk
— Beyoncé Charts (@yoncechart) June 29, 2020
The award comes just one week after the 38-year-old released her single Black Parade on Juneteenth – a day marking the end of slavery in America 155 years ago – and the same weekend she revealed and dropped the trailer for her new visual album, Black is King, set to premiere on Disney Plus on 31 July.
