Most people use an awards acceptance speech to deliver pleasant yet dull platitudes, thanking their parents and their agent, and so on. Not Doechii, who triumphed at last night’s BET Awards with a win for Best Female Hip-Hop artist and delivered an acceptance speech for the ages
The BET Awards were held at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater, a short distance from where Trump’s troops have been battling anti-ICE protestors infuriated at government agents snatching their friends, family, and co-workers from their homes, workplaces, and churches. Many at the ceremony were doing their best to pretend none of that was happening. Not Doechii.
While holding her award, she said:
” I do wanna address what’s happening right now outside of the building. There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order. Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.”
“Trump is using military forces to stop a protest — I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.”
— Doechii at the #BETAwards pic.twitter.com/Lx6tkKaEDR
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 10, 2025
There were cheers from the crowd as she continued:
“What type of government is that? People are being swept up and torn from their families, and I feel it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people. “For Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not in fear, and I hope we stand together, my brothers and my sisters, against hate, and we protest against it. Thank you, BET.”
Perfectly said
The response has been extremely positive, praising her for being “on the right side of history”. Top-rated comments say “way to meet the moment! Fantastic speech!”, “She’s fearless and speaks the truth”, “Perfectly said. No notes”, and that she’s “raising the bar” for other performers.
It’s easy to get cynical about this sort of thing. After all, these are highly paid celebrities speaking out to a roomful of wealthy people. But if that’s going to happen anyway, why shouldn’t they speak out about the crimes the government is committing against its people that are taking place on the streets right outside?
Doechii is now squarely within the MAGA Eye of Sauron for this speech and the hate campaign has begun. But, if it’s a choice between shoving your head into the sand and pretending like nothing is happening and speaking out, she made the right call.
