Bookending the speech, performances by Beyonce’s protégés Chloe X Halle, Maxwell and Janelle Monae made the same point with virtuosic self-expression. A few hours after Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s performance made those points implicit, Williams’ speech made them definite, connecting the visceral narrative threads that ran through her set. Jesse Williams made explicit what so much of this year’s BET Awards has been trying to imply: Things are different now, and so much of black America is fed up. The young Chloe X Halle’s performance of “Drop” -- a rock-infused slow burner -- was startling and arresting in its precision, and heralded a world of promise for this sister act. We want it now.”In a show that at its best drew lines in the sand about the vitality and essence of black culture to the American story, Williams’ speech was perhaps its most immediate and passionate example.

Source: Los Angeles Times June 27, 2016 03:30 UTC