Rihanna Encourages Other Races To "Pull Up" For Black Issues At NAACP Image Awards

We may not yet have a new album from Rihanna, but we did get one hell of a speech when she took to the stage to accept the President’s Award at this year’s NAACP Image Awards Saturday night. The honor is historically bestowed upon an individual who has made a clear and vested commitment toward promoting diversity and working toward the advancements of minorities in their communities and beyond. As Rih accepted the prize, she extended on these same tenets to deliver on a stirring speech before the audience gathered in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

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“Tonight is not really about me. The purpose is bigger than me. It’s not bigger than us together, but it’s bigger than me. My part is a very small part of the work that’s being done in this world, and the work that is yet to be done,” Rihanna began, receiving warm applause within her first remarks. “We can only fix this world together. We cannot do it divided. I cannot emphasize that enough.”

She went on to touch on the pitfalls of casting off another race or gender’s problems if they don’t necessarily apply to you, urging the crowd before her and the fans at home to encourage their friends of other races to get involved in the issues that matter to them.

“This is their problem, too. So when we’re marching and protesting and posting about the Michael Brown Jrs and the Tatiana Jeffersons of the world, tell your friends to pull up.”

Watch her full speech below.