This evening, VH1 aired Hip Hop Honors: The 90’s Game Changers.

This is an award show about nostalgia, about honoring hip-hop legends from the past.

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However, the evening’s highlight was about the now. There was a powerful moment when Pharrell came out. He decided to use his couple of minutes of screen time to speak on our current political climate, where people of color — particularly black people — are under constant attack.

P started his speech by saying:

“Everybody at home right now watching this, and acting like ya’ll don’t see what’s going on out there. Ya’ll got to open your eyes. Open your eyes. You keep saying you don’t see what’s going on on television, what’s happening to us. Open your eyes. And if you look like I look, then you know how we got here. But we’re here, and we’re not leaving. So what are we going to do?”

WATCH: Pharrell & Pusha T Perform a Clipse Medley with The Roots at Roots Picnic 2017

It was a powerful speech from Pharrell. And it’s nice to see his views on race continue to evolve.

Watch the entire speech below.

Source: VH1