Nicki Minaj offered an inspiring rendition of Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise” at A&E Network’s Wednesday night benefit concert, Shining A Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America.
Several other notable musicians, such as Pharrell, Bruce Springsteen, John Legend and Sia, took part in the show to address racial inequality in America and raise money for United Way Worldwide.
Angelou’s poem broaches on the themes of racism, misogyny and sexuality, issues that Minaj has been outspoken about in the past, and the 32-year-old artist gave a fittingly stirring delivery of the piece. “Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise, that I dance like I’ve got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs,” she recited to a cheering audience.
See the full reading below:
- LGBTQ Reality TV Takes on a Painful Moment
- Column: How the World Must Respond to AI
- What the Debt Ceiling Deal Means for Student Loan Borrowers
- India’s Female Wrestlers Are Saying #MeToo
- 7 Ways to Get Better at Small Talk
- Florence Pugh Might Just Save the Movie Star From Extinction
- The End of Succession
- Scientists Get Closer to Harnessing Solar Power From Space