Janet Jackson: “Women Have Made It Clear We Will No Longer Be Controlled, Manipulated Or Abused”

by Byshera Williams

At the 2018 Billboard Awards, Janet Jackson made history as the first black women to ever receive the Icon Award. After having the award presented to her, Jackson gave a brief but impactful acceptance speech where she discussed sexism, abuse, racism, and God. Expressing her thankfulness for the award, while the audience cheered her name, the icon said the following:  

“For all our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history,” Jackson said. “Women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated or abused. I stand with those women, and with men equally outraged who support us in heart and mind. This is also a moment when our public discourse is loud and harsh. My prayer is that, weary of such noise, we turn back to the source of all calmness. That source is God.”

This was the first time Jackson performed on live television in almost a decade and for her to use her platform to speak about faith and the #MeToo movement was both a brave and impactful choice. We stand with Janet Jackson.

Photo credit: Still from “Dammn Baby”/YouTube

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