Last Sunday night, BET aired the 7th Annual Black Girls Rocks Awards which celebrated black women in entertainment and various other fields who have made an impact as positive role models and inspirational leaders. The night was filled with unity and love as honorees like Dionne Warwick, Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington and Susan L. Taylor took to the stage and offered words of wisdom during their acceptance speeches, but it was Janelle Monae’s speech that really knocked the show’s overall message out of the ball park.
Known for her signature style, a black tuxedo suit and white shirt combo, she said:
When I started my music career, I was a maid. I used to clean houses. My mother was a proud janitor. My stepfather, who raised me like his very own, worked at the post office and my father was a trashman. They all wore uniforms and that’s why I stand here today, in my black and white, and I wear my uniform to honor them.
This is a reminder that I have work to do. I have people to uplift. I have people to inspire. And today, I wear my uniform proudly as a Cover Girl. I want to be clear, young girls, I didn’t have to change who I was to become a Cover Girl. I didn’t have to become perfect because I’ve learned throughout my journey that perfection is the enemy of greatness.
Embrace what makes you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable.
Wow!!! What powerful words there. May her star keep rising...
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