Vice President Kamala Harris appeared at the 2024 BET Awards with a message for Black voters in a now viral spot that cites Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track.
Harris was seen in a pre-recorded video that aired Sunday during “culture’s biggest night,” discussing the 2024 election with host Taraji P. Henson, who served as host for the ceremony.
Henson is seen telling the veep she’s worried about the upcoming election, noting that basic freedoms are “being tested.”
Harris responded saying, “The majority of us believe in freedom and equality, but these extremists, as they say, they’re ‘not like us.”
She added that there is a “full attack on our fundamental freedoms,” including the freedom to vote, to love who you love and more.”
When Henson asked what can be done, Harris responded encouraging viewers to register to vote.
The “Empire” actress opened the show taking a jab at Trump’s Black jobs comment during Thursday’s CNN presidential debate.
“They’re taking Black jobs now and it could be 18, it could be 19 and even 20 million people,” Trump said. “They’re taking Black jobs and they’re taking Hispanic jobs and you haven’t seen it yet but you’re going to see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.”
In her opening monologue, the “Color Purple” star boldly addressed the former president’s comments: “This is a show packed full of all-stars with Black jobs. Whatever that means,” she added. “But clearly we know there’s a difference. Thanks for the info, but we already knew it.”
Later in the show, Henson delivered a passionate plea to viewers to hit the polls in this “serious time.”
“They are trying to bring the draft back. Who do you think they’re going to draft first? ! I’m not trying to scare us. I’m trying to inform us. We got three Supreme Court seats up, you guys. We need those seats or we have no protection.”
The night was also filled with political commentary from the night’s winners and presenters.
“Community” actress Yvette Nicole Brown encouraged celebrities to use their influence to get people to the polls in November. “If you get a platform and you get people listening to you, you gotta talk about more than lipgloss and what dress you wearing,” Brown told the Daily News on the carpet. “You really got to tell people to get out and vote and vote for Biden, I said it.”
Brown added, “We lost affirmative action. We lost Roe V. Wade because this other dude put three judges on the Supreme Court. They are coming for everything we hold dear.”
Killer Mike, who won Album of the Year, also addressed the importance of Black voters getting politically involved at every level.
“They’re gonna tell you who we vote for is important and it is,” he said. “Who we vote for on the big stage is important, but it’s more important that you know who your city council person is, who your prosecutor is, and if you don’t like the people who are running, run your Black ass to the polls and run yourself.”
