The 2018 awards season has been chock full of the effort to keep the new #TimesUp movement momentum going from wearing all black at the Golden Globes, only women presenting at the SAG Awards to tonight at the Grammy's where the symbol was white roses (worn by everyone) solidifying solidarity for women and the continuation of the movement.
Making Janelle Monáe's moving speech even more of a pivotal unifying declaration; tonight, before introducing Kesha's special performance Monáe striked a major chord in pushing its agenda even farther. Read Monae's full speech below:
"Tonight, I am proud to stand in solidarity as not just an artist but a young woman with my fellow sisters in this room who make up the music industry. Artists, writers, assistants, publicists, CEOs, producers, engineers, and women from all sectors of the business. We are also daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and human beings. We come in peace, but we mean business. And to those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time's up.
We say time's up for pay inequality, time's up for discrimination, time's up for harassment of any kind, and time's up for the abuse of power. Because, you see, it's not just going on in Hollywood, it's not just going on in Washington -- it's right here in our industry as well. And just as we have the power to shake culture, we also have the power to undo the culture that does not serve us well. So let's work together, women and men, as a united music industry, committed to creating more safe work environments, equal pay and access for all women."
Janelle Monáe
