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Beyoncé was awarded the Humanitarian Award at the 2020 BET Awards on Sunday, June 28.
The 38-year-old singer was recognized for how she’s used her influence and voice to contribute to various charitable organizations, including the efforts made through her BeyGOOD initiative.
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Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD program helps to create scholarship programs in partnership with UNICEF to provide the East African country Burundi with clean water and sanitation. The popstar also recently partnered up with her mother, Tina Knowles, to provide coronavirus testing to Houston’s black community.
Michelle Obama presented Beyoncé with the award during the BET telecast and praised her “generosity of spirit and her love of her community.”
She added that Beyoncé calls “out sexism and racism when she sees it” and does “it all while staying devoted to her children and the loved ones she holds dear.”
Following the presentation of the award, many stars including Tyler Perry praised her humanitarian efforts and the work she was done with BeyGOOD.
Next, Beyonce gave a short one-minute prerecorded speech to show her honor and appreciation of being the recipient of the award. “I want to dedicate this award to all my brothers out there, all of my sisters out there inspiring me and marching for change,” she said in the message.
“Your voices are being heard and you’re proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain.”
“Now we have one more thing we need to do to walk in our true power and that is to vote,” she continued. “I’m encouraging you to continue to take action, continue to change and dismantle a racist and unequal system. We have to continue to do this together, continue to fight for each other and lift each other up.”
“Because there are people banking on us staying at home during local elections and primaries happening in states across the country. We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does. So please continue to be the change you want to see.”