*Janelle Monàe’s new single is being hailed as the anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, so when she performed the track on NBC’s “Today” show last Friday, fans and advocates expressed their displeasure at the network for cutting Janelle’s speech on police brutality.
Monàe had just finished performing the song and was about to address the themes of the piece when the camera cut away to an anchor who spoke over her, The Grio reports.
“Yes Lord! God bless America! God bless all the lost lives to police brutality. We want white America to know that we stand tall today. We want black America to know we stand tall today. We will not be silenced…” Janelle said to the crowd before the rude interruption.
The show cut to commercial moments after Monàe said “silenced.” To add further insult, clips of other musical segments were posted to the “Today” website on Friday, but none of Janelle’s “Hell You Talmbout” performance.
You can see the interrupted moment below starting at the 14:45 mark in the video below:
On Wednesday of last week, Monàe shared the message behind her song on Instagram:
“This song is a vessel. It carries the unbearable anguish of millions. We recorded it to channel the pain, fear, and trauma caused by the ongoing slaughter of our brothers and sisters. We recorded it to challenge the indifference, disregard, and negligence of all who remain quiet about this issue. Silence is our enemy. Sound is our weapon. They say a question lives forever until it gets the answer it deserves… Won’t you say their names?”
In related news, photos and video surfaced of Janelle and her labelmate Jidenna leading a Black Lives Matters march down the streets of Philly on August 12, alongside residents – all carrying signs with messages such as: “Black Girl Magic,” and “Black Joy,” Billboard reports.
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