Singer Janelle Monae and hip hop star Jidenna marched through North Philadelphia Wednesday bringing awareness to police brutality and the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

The singers and about 150 protesters gathered near Broad and Susquehanna and marched towards the Uptown Theater on North Broad Street.

During the peaceful rally the protesters spoke out against police brutality and injustice. Organizers of the rally told NBC10 they wanted to spread the message of “black joy.”

“In the wake of police brutality and numerous other things we wanted to make sure that the world knew that black joy is still important and it’s relevant,” said Melanie McCoy, one of the organizers. “Just as important as black rage is, black joy is equally as important. We feel like we can use both.”

Both Monae and Jidenna spoke at the rally.

Monae is a Grammy-nominated R&B, soul and alternative singer whose albums “The ArchAndroid” and “The Electric Lady” have garnered widespread critical acclaim. Jidenna is a hip hop artist signed to Monae’s label Wondaland Records. He is best known for his hit song “Classic Man” which has peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.



