Michelle Obama praises ‘my girl’ Beyoncé as singer receives BET humanitarian award

Former first lady commends Beyoncé on ‘calling out sexism and racism when she sees it’

Michelle Obama has paid tribute to singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter on the night of the BET Awards, telling the singer: “You inspire all of us.”

On Sunday 28 June, the annual BET Awards, which celebrates black artists and sportspeople, took place virtually.

During the ceremony, Beyoncé received a special accolade, being presented with the Humanitarian Award in honour of her philanthropy.

Through her work with the BeyGOOD foundation, Beyoncé has been working with her mother, Tina Lawson, to provide Covid-19 testing for black people living in Houston, Texas, where she grew up.

Before Beyoncé delivered her acceptance speech at the BET Awards, she was introduced in a video message recorded by former first lady Obama, who described the recipient as “my girl”.

Obama began by saying: “I am here today to talk about the queen. You know, the one.”

The 56-year-old spoke of Beyoncé’s childhood in Houston, saying she has been “lighting up the stages and gracing the world with her talent, with her generosity and spirit, and with her love for her community” throughout her life.

“You can see it in everything she does, from her music that gives voice to black joy and black pain, to her activism that demands justice for black lives,” Obama said.

“And no matter how big the stages get, I know my girl isn’t satisfied unless she’s sharing all that shine with the next generation.”

The former first lady described how Beyoncé has been “pulling up young performers” like Chloe x Halle, in addition to the orchestral musicians that “dazzled us” during her Homecoming performance at the 2018 Coachella music festival.

“That’s why she’s calling out sexism and racism when she sees it, paving a path for new artists who are trying to navigate the music industry,” she said.

Obama also paid tribute to Beyoncé’s decision to rewrite her song “Get Me Bodied” to “Move Your Body” when taking part in the White House’s “Let’s Move” campaign, which was launched in 2010 to encourage children to become more active.

“She’s always turning up, looking out, and making us all a little bit better, a little more fierce, and she’s doing it all while staying devoted to her children and the loved ones she holds dear,” Obama stated.

“So to my girl, I just want to say: You inspire me. You inspire all of us. Which is why I’m so proud to name Beyoncé the 2020 BET Awards Humanitarian of the Year honoree.”

Obama ended her message by saying: “Congratulations, girl. Love you so much.”