Taraji P. Henson took a moment to be serious in her otherwise upbeat introduction to the BET Awards on Sunday night, delivering the first of three consecutive slams at the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last week.
She began light, joking to the crowd, “You look successful… expensive… you look like you can afford these gas prices,” she laughed, after coming onstage to Ikino’s song, “The Kong’s Affirmation.”
But after saying “Black men, we love you, we hear you,” she then shouted out show-opener Lizzo for her stellar performance of “About That Time” — and then for donating $1 million to Planned Parenthood (which she actually did in partnership with Live Nation).
“It’s about that time we step into our power… It’s about that time we talk about the fact that guns have more rights than a woman. It’s a sad day in America. A weapon that can take lives has more power than a woman who can gave life — IF she chooses to.”
The theme continued with the next presenter, as Janelle Monae wished the audience Happy Pride Day and shouted out the LGBTQ representation, before shouting “Fuck you Supreme Court,” with a prominent middle finger.
“We must celebrate our art by protecting our rights and our truth,” she said, introducing the nominees for Best R&B Pop Artist.
And the winner, Jazmine Sullivan, continued, by saying as part of her acceptance speech, “I want to speak directly to the men: We need you — we need you to stand up for us and stand with us” on the issue.
In the show’s first half hour, nearly every woman who took the stage commented on the issue: Best New Artist winner Latto said “No one will control this body.”