Nicki Minaj brought power and #blackgirlmagic to A&E’s Shining A Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America event when she performed a reading of the late Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.”
The benefit took place in Los Angeles and sought to bring awareness to United Way Worldwide and the racial conflicts that have affected the country this year, TIME reports.
The rapper and actress addresses sexism, racism, and misogyny in Angelou’s lyrics, but certain parts of the classic poem are even more applicable to Nicki’s mission.
There was one particular line that garnered cheers from the crowd:
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
The three-hour concert – which also features Bruce Springsteen, Pharrell Williams, Sia, and John Legend – will be broadcast on Friday, November 20 at 8 p.m. across the network’s partnering channels. Town hall meetings will also air at pivotal places in the fight against police brutality and racial tension. Pharrell performed at Charleston’s Mother Emanuel Church, while other segments will feature pieces in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, where Freddie Gray died in police custody.
Take a look at Nicki’s recitation above.
SOURCE: TIME | VIDEO CREDIT: YouTube
Nicki Minaj Perfectly Recites Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” At Benefit On Racial Inequality was originally published on newsone.com
