No one at the Tonys said much of anything in their speeches. They thanked people, of course, and basked in this moment for their careers. One person said happy pride and another gave a nice but vague speech about going beyond the gender binary. Some made allusions to Trump. But overall the show’s politics were stuck with the Hamilton tribute, an enthusiastic liberalism of a decade past.
I don’t know if artists have a responsibility to use an award speech to make a statement. I don’t know if it really does anything. But I do think the arts can be the vanguard for political change and I do think anyone with a platform should at least try to meet their moment.
Last night at the BET Awards while accepting the award for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Doechii showed how this can be done. After a few thank yous and acknowledgments, she said:
“As much as I’m honored by this award, I do want to address what’s happening right now outside of the building. There are ruthless attacks that are creating chaos and fear in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. And I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us. What kind of government is that? People are being swept up and torn from their families. And I feel it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people. For Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear. And I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters, against hate and we protest against it. Thank you, BET.”
Considering how hollow it can sometimes feel when artists speak up, this speech from Doechii feels remarkable in its sharpness. She critiqued the Trump administration’s aggression against protesters while drawing a parallel between similar actions of the past — notably his deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles during the 2020 protests as well. Then she re-focused back to the issue that inspired the protest: ICE tearing apart families. Then she connected the topic to broader human rights struggles, calling out by name the attack against trans rights and the genocide in Gaza.
We are past the point for platitudes. In fact, we always have been. Flowery speeches about acceptance are fine, but there’s much more power in the explicit naming of the issues at hand and connecting these issues as one global struggle for human rights.
“Art can change the world” is a purer thought than “celebrity can change the world” but in these moments I’m reminded that sometimes it’s as simple as a beloved person with a stage saying the fucking thing out loud and saying it well. More artists and more celebrities should look to this Doechii speech as a lesson in what it means to actually speak up.
Our collective struggle will not be decided at award shows. But recent history shows us the power of solidarity from a recognizable name. There’s a reason J. Edgar Hoover kept files on so many of our best artists.
Christopher Polk / Contributor
I don’t have a platform. No one cares about my opinion. I’m not making people think. Why? Not because what I say doesn’t make sense or isn’t impactful and persuasive. It’s because, I’m just me. No one knows me. My voice is there but it’s quiet, even if I raise it. On the other hand, celebrities have platforms, and voices that carry. They can inspire people and make them think. We need more of this or we will look like Hungary by the end of Summer. No one should ever want that.