Pharrell Williams and Beyonce both used their Grammy awards performances to press the “hands up, don’t shoot” narrative, the not-so-subtle dig at police and how they handle acts of violence in the community.
Black-hooded background dancers during Mr. Williams’ “Happy” act stopped mid-song to raise their arms in a dramatic “don’t shoot” move, in apparent tribute to both Trayvon Martin — the teen shot in Florida — and Michael Brown, the Ferguson 18-year-old who was killed in a police shooting.
Agence France-Presse reported background singers for Beyonce performed similarly, raising their hands in the universally-known “don’t shoot” stance.
Another rapper, Common, later took the stage to speak about police-community tensions in Ferguson, AFP reported. And when Prince took the stage, it was more of the same.
While presenting the Album of the Year honor, Prince said: “Like books and black lives, albums still matter,” an apparent reference to the #BlackLivesMatter campaign that’s been coursing across the nation.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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