Coming Full Circle
Sunday June 26, 2016
Everybody, everywhere, is talking global politics, economics, natural disasters, and the fact that revolution is at hand. The old ways are going. People are so beaten down with living in this world, freedom and change are all that matters. What seemed to have started in the Middle East has gone viral/global. Down with the ruling classes. Down with the ridiculous concept of monarchies. I dreamed I was in the UK watching as citizens decided to overthrow the monarchy and give their wealth to the poor. This spread quickly to the rest of Europe where all were dethroned. The people of the planet are on a roll and yes there all be collateral damage but well worth it. Let's see what this week brings.
Sunday June 26, 2016
The 2016 BET Awards were the BEST. Performers got into many political and social issues of the day. I watched the show just after I finished the blog "Revolution" posted above and was thrilled when Beyonce opened the show with a surprise performance of her song Freedom - performing with Kendrick Lamar as they danced in a pool of water. It was a brilliant performance about racial freedom - one of the many freedoms humanity is fighting for today.
Souls will no longer stay silent and be oppressed which will cause chaos over and over but freedom is the name of what's left of our game. The entertainment was enough to transcend time and space without all the healing, energy work, substances, or rhetoric that people need to get them there - emphasis on Beyonce, Alicia Keys, the Roots, Erykah Badu, Sheila E, and others.
Stevie Wonder and Tori Kelly teamed up for the Prince/Apollonia duet from Purple Rain, Take Me With U. They were then joined on stage by Jennifer Hudson who sang a moving rendition of Prince's "Purple Rain" walking slow off stage as she continued to sing. Yes this was better than Madonna's performance a few months ago, that many criticized, but madonna did her best. The show finished with Prince collaborator Sheila E leading a 10-minute montage of Prince songs. Muhammad Ali's daughter, along with Jamie Foxx, who played the role of the boxing legend, paid tribute to him.
Samuel L Jackson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Grey's Anatomy actor Jesse Williams received a standing ovation as he accepted the humanitarian award. Many of the presenters and winners encouraged the audience to vote on this game changing election year. A political moment saw R&B artist Usher performing in a shirt which read: "Don't Trump America" on it. Beyonce won video of the year and the viewers' choice award for her song Formation but had already left the ceremony to catch a flight to London for a concert so her mother Tina Knowles accepted the award on her behalf. Drake won best male hip hop artist and best group with rapper/singer/producer Future, but was not at the ceremony to accept the awards. Newcomer Bryson Tiller beat Chris Brown and Weekend to win best male R&B/pop artist and also won best new artist.
